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There were times last year when Conor Bradley privately wondered whether he had much of a future at Liverpool.
That seems baffling now, given the Northern Irishman faces a golden opportunity to establish himself in Arne Slot's first-choice XI. Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer exit has opened that door, and with Bradley fit once again, the resumption of the Premier League this weekend could mark the start of his efforts to seize control of that right-back position.
Of course, he will encounter stiff competition in the form of Jeremie Frimpong, while Dominik Szoboszlai's excellent recent cameo at right-back has created an additional, unexpected dimension to that contest. Yet several Anfield insiders view Bradley as the long-term heir to Alexander-Arnold. Slot's pre-season team selections reinforced that sentiment, with the youngster named in the stronger XIs against AC Milan and Yokohama F Marinos.
But in the autumn of 2024, viewing Bradley as an integral player was fanciful. After failing to start any of the campaign's first 15 Premier League or Champions League matches, the academy gradute had grown unsure whether Jurgen Klopp's successor truly rated him.
Ahead of a Carabao Cup tie in September, Bradley said: "I'm just waiting patiently for my chance and hopefully, when it comes, I'll be able to take it and do the best I can."
He duly did, grasping the initiative when Alexander-Arnold hobbled off against Aston Villa on November 11. Two stellar displays against Southampton and Real Madrid followed, games which may have irrevocably changed the course of his Liverpool destiny. It underlined to Slot and the club how valuable an asset they possessed.
A continued run in the side should have followed, yet an unwanted hitch stalled that heady momentum. Then again, overcoming setbacks has defined Bradley's juvenile career to date.
This is the second article in our two-part feature on how Conor Bradley climbed the Liverpool ranks. Missed the first on how Tyrone, Kirkby, and Bolton shaped his development? Read it here.
Bouncing back
Ask any Liverpool fan about Conor Bradley, and the same opinion will be repeated. No one doubts his quality, but there are concerns about his injury record.
Over the last two years, niggling knocks have kept him sidelined too often, and since August 2023, the number of games missed through injuries is approaching 50.
Indeed, this series was originally due to be published in mid-August but was rescheduled after Bradley sustained a pre-season knock. He has also missed a Carabao Cup final and Liverpool's title coronation against Tottenham Hotspur in the last six months, while that majestic night against Real ended on a sour note as Bradley was forced off with a knock.
"Hopefully, he's just been growing and is now physically stronger, where he can deal with those knocks. You don't want to be playing four games and then out for 10," said ex-Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock.
It should be noted that none of the Liverpool sources interviewed for this feature expressed concern about Bradley's injury record. After all, he has played nearly 200 games in his career across youth, senior, and international teams, and only a few years ago, he managed 53 appearances for Bolton Wanderers. Some also believe the injury frequency will diminish now that he has physically matured.
For instance, a growth spurt resulted in his longest absence. After returning from Bolton, a stress fracture in Bradley's back meant his first appearance of the campaign was delayed until November 30.
Even more dishearteningly, the injury occurred just weeks after Klopp decided the Northern Ireland protegee would be part of his senior squad for the upcoming season, while the club opted to send fellow right-back Calvin Ramsay out on loan.
Klopp had already taken a shine to Bradley. The right-back earned the manager's trust before his stint in Bolton and reinforced that opinion in the summer of 2023. "I loved him from the first day. I didn't need a lot of convincing," said the German later that season.
After that show of confidence, the frustration cut even deeper - yet it never dampened his enthusiasm, belief, and desire to succeed.
That trait has defined Bradley since his youth, when his small stature meant he had to fight harder to impress. Even the location of his rural hometown was an issue growing up, with Killen an hour away from Dungannon and a nearly two-hour drive to Belfast, where Liverpool's academy program was situated. That English clubs snap up such a pitiful number of youngsters from Northern Ireland was another massive barrier to Bradley's chances of success, as was his crucial first season in the academy being cut short due to Covid.
The decision to sign Ramsay in the same window Bradley joined Bolton could also have been seen as a blow. If anything, it only spurred him on.
"It wouldn't get to him and he knew he had to be patient to get a chance to earn his chance," Alex Inglethorpe, the club's academy director, told Liverpool.com. "At this club, that's either through injury, suspension, or the cup competitions. He was patient enough to wait for his chance. But of course, he was competitive enough to make his impact when he got it."
Bursting onto the scene
When Bradley returned from injury in December 2023, he was indeed required to be patient, a situation he always knew awaited him. While some may have balked at the prospect of being Alexander-Arnold's deputy, the challenge didn't faze the man from County Tyrone.
"That speaks volumes for his mindset and mentality," said former Bolton coach Ian Evatt. "He's just someone who embraces the challenge. He wants to be better. He wants to do the right things. He wants to improve himself every single day."
Despite Bradley's burgeoning reputation, by mid-January 2024, he had yet to make a Premier League appearance. Six unused substitute appearances had followed his reintegration, but it took a fresh Alexander-Arnold injury for an opportunity to present itself.
Bradley is not one to wish ill on others, but by this stage, the phrase "Alexander-Arnold injury" will have undoubtedly made his ears prick up. His first league performance was excellent, with a 4-0 victory over Bournemouth capped by an assist for Diogo Jota.
The wait for a second league appearance wasn't as long, just 10 days, in fact. In between, the full-back played the full 90 in a Carabao Cup semi-final win over Fulham, while he provided two assists in an FA Cup victory aganist Norwich City just days after news broke of Klopp's imminent exit.
Indeed, goal contributions were a common theme as Bradley thrust himself onto the first-team stage. None more so than against Chelsea, when a dominant display resulted in a further two assists and a maiden Liverpool goal.
It was an outstanding display that put to bed any doubts over Bradley's capacity to play at this level. Chelsea failed to find the solution to his ceaseless energy and repeated forays down the right, forcing a bamboozled Ben Chilwell to be replaced at half-time. "Since he is back, it is a joy to watch him," said Klopp said after Liverpool's new first-team star received a standing Anfield ovation.
Yet tragedy struck three days later after Bradley's father, Joe, passed away at the age of 58 following a long illness. For the 20-year-old, it was an unimaginable loss. Liverpool and Northern Ireland offered unwavering support, with both sending representatives to the funeral in Aghyaran.
It says much about Bradley's character that he returned to the team so quickly and played 83 minutes in a 4-1 victory over Brentford on February 17. A devastating month ended positively when, a year after his EFL Trophy success with Bolton, the Northern Ireland star was back at Wembley and started in the Carabao Cup final triumph over Chelsea.
Bradley's presence on the side was no longer a novelty. Another Alexander-Arnold injury presented an extended run in the side. This time, he started eight league matches in a row before an untimely ankle injury in late April.
While it ended somewhat forlornly from a team perspective, as Klopp's hopes of departing with silverware dramatically faltered, for Bradley it was one to reflect on with pride. He'd overcome adversity, endeared himself to the Anfield regulars and proven, beyond doubt, he was ready to play a significant role for one of the world's best teams.
From humble stock
Beyond the talent and dedication, there's a reason Bradley's story is worth telling.
For a Premier League star, he is unique. There is no ego, no interest in the celebrity lifestyle, and no one has a bad word to say about him. That's not just a fawning platitude; everyone who spoke to Liverpool.com as part of this series described a humble, unassuming, and grounded young man who has time for people from all walks of life.
"You wouldn't know he was a Premier League footballer," said one interviewee familiar with the inner workings of Kirkby and Anfield. "He could be the kitman or the gardener."
Bradley has become a go-to for the media teams at both Liverpool and Northern Ireland. There's never any concern about being rebuffed or met with complaints. "You'd be proud to call him a friend," said one source. "I'm yet to hear anyone say anything negative about him," added another.
Most credit his parents for ensuring the child prodigy was reared correctly, particularly his mother, Linda, who drove her son the length and breadth of the country to help make his sporting dreams a reality. She is still the player's agent today, but likes to remain in the background.
"He's a product of his environment, and I still just think of Conor as a normal lad from County Tyrone," explained one person who has grown to know Bradley well in recent years.
Family is still a hugely instrumental pillar of Bradley's life and he'll often return home quietly without any fanfare.
His bond with Northern Ireland remains strong six years after moving to Liverpool. Many speak of a lad whose heart is still deeply rooted in the province, and of a burning desire to return home when international duty calls.
Three different sources speaking to Liverpool.com also relayed stories of recorded messages that Bradley sent to young Northern Ireland teams competing in tournaments. One Irish Football Association (IFA) official also revealed that, having received a message from a young disabled supporter, the Liverpool man went out of his way to meet in person. Bradley didn't publicise this.
Meanwhile, at 22, Bradley is already seen as the shining light in a young, promising Northern Ireland side. He has earned 27 caps, captained the side and, in 2024, was voted Player of the Year, a trophy that was sprung on the unsuspecting defender at Kirkby one April afternoon.
While the IFA is aware of overexposure, there is a real sense of pride at Bradley's achievements. Many see him as the brightest young talent since Jonny Evans, who could go on to be one of his country's greatest.
"He might already be a Northern Ireland legend," said current international team-mate Terry Devlin, who also played alongside Bradley as a child. "He has won a Premier League and it probably won't be his last. He has a big future ahead of him, and I can see him becoming a mainstay in the Liverpool team for a very long time."
A new dawn at Anfield
The first indication that Bradley was being primed for an essential role came in May. "If a very good player is leaving, then the next very good player will step up," said Slot, four days after Alexander-Arnold confirmed his plans to leave Liverpool.
"We all see Conor's potential. We have a lot of confidence in him as a very good full-back for Liverpool."
Despite the early-season concerns, Bradley played 29 times in the Dutchman's first campaign. That night against Real, when he passed the biggest test of his juvenile career with flying colors, proved seismic.
Bradley played a significant role in the second half of the season and added the Premier League to his already impressive haul of winners' medals.
This term, he will play a bigger role. There's a sense that Bradley's star is on the rise, as evidenced by a new four-year contract over the summer. "He has hit every milestone set by the club," said a Liverpool source. "The position is there to be taken."
While it would be foolish to consider Bradley a guaranteed starter, many feel he holds an initial advantage over Frimpong, his main competitor. The Ulsterman is seen as a better defensive option.
Not that the former Bayer Leverkusen star will necessarily play a back-up role. Rotation will be a factor, of course, while Frimpong's ability to operate in a more advanced position was instrumental in Liverpool's decision to sign him.
Crucially, Bradley has also earned the trust of supporters. "I am confident he is ready to step up," said Dan Clubbe of fan channel 'Redmen TV.' "Bradley has proven time and time again that he's ready, and he is absolutely of the required standard. Getting the right-back shirt off Trent felt impossible some time ago, but Bradley gave it a good go and there were definitely times where he probably deserved it."
The Anfield Wrap's Robert Gutmann echoed that sentiment. "I'd struggle to put many right-backs in the world ahead of Conor Bradley, really, and the potential he has shown."
Whatever the case, those who know Bradley insist he will relish this new challenge, will look to kick on and continue his development with Alexander-Arnold gone. That will inevitably alter Liverpool's style.
"Conor will bring a different dynamic to the team with the way he carries the ball and how he drives forward compared to Trent's passing range," said Warnock. "The team might even be more organized now and I think signing [Florian] Wirtz will allow the team to push higher up."
While the season might be four matches old, in many senses this weekend's trip to Burnley marks a new dawn for Liverpool. For the first time this campaign, Bradley is fit, and Frimpong, who has also nursed a recent knock, could also be in contention.
From Killen to the Kop, Bradley's journey to this point has been remarkable. Now he has the chance to turn that boyhood dream into permanence.
"I think he can get to the very top and stay there," Evatt summed up. "He has all the attributes to enable him to do so. He deserves everything that comes his way."
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