Q&A with Liverpool star Conor Bradley

Leaders Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield when the Premier League returns next weekend.

The Reds currently hold a one-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City and title chasers Arsenal, and manager Arne Slot will be hoping to see his side kick on after the international break.

With no Premier League action this weekend, we sat down with Liverpool star Conor Bradley to ask him some questions about Liverpool, Northern Ireland and much more.

Q: You went on loan to Bolton Wanderers to begin with and was voted their 2022/23 Player of the Year. How was that? 

A: “I’m so thankful to the staff and fans because I couldn’t have dreamed I’d have such a wonderful year with Bolton – we won the EFL Trophy at Wembley and made the play-offs and I loved playing for Bolton because I had some incredible moments. I also improved as a person and a player. I’ll always keep an eye on their results and hope they get back in the Championship as soon as possible.”

Q: Who was your idol as a kid? 

A: “Gareth Bale was someone I watched quite a lot. He got his big move to Real Madrid and Wales are a small nation, but he did so well for his country and was their best player for so many years. I was a winger as well, so he was someone I looked up to. He was an unbelievable player and some of the stuff on the pitch he did was magnificent.”

Bradley has been capped 17 times by Northern Ireland

Q: You’ve already been compared by some to Gareth Bale – how does the feel? 

A: “It’s nice to get little comparisons like that, but I still think I have a long way to go to do what he’s done. It’s nice, but I’m still learning my trade.”

Q: How was your Premier League debut season? 

A: “It was a whirlwind. It was a bit unreal, really.”

Q: Your Liverpool debut saw you win 4-0 at Bournemouth – and claim an assist – how did that feel? 

A: “I don’t think I could put it into words, really. It was so special and something I’d wanted and been dreaming about for a long time, so to play and get an assist was fantastic.”

Bradley spent time on loan at Football League side Bolton Wanderers

Q: In only your second Premier League appearance, you scored one and assisted two more in a 4-1 win over Chelsea – how was that? 

A: “It was probably that game where I thought ‘right, I can do this’. I just need to be consistent with it and try to do things like that as much as I can. It’s obviously difficult coming into one of the best teams in the world and trying to break through and prove that you’re good enough to play every week.That was a big moment for me where I realised this is possible. My friends were over for the game, so they were back at my apartment after and I just remember saying to them, “what’s just happened?”. It was crazy! It was just a mental couple of days. I just couldn’t believe what was happening to be honest with you.”

Q: You won the Premier League Fans’ Player of the Month, scored a goal, got several assists and then won the Carabao Cup – all in the space of a few weeks – did you pinch yourself that it was all happening? 

A: “A bit! I couldn’t have dreamed it would have gone quite as well as it has and now I just have to keep it going, keep working hard and try to improve myself because I know there’s a lot of improvement I can make.”

Bradley has now played 34 times for Liverpool

Q: When you’ve played, you have mostly filled in for Trent Alexander-Arnold – does that bring its own pressure? 

A: “Yeah, obviously Trent is probably the best right-back in the world at the moment, if not the best player in the world the way he’s playing. Obviously I’m not Trent Alexander-Arnold, so I’m just going to play my game and just contribute what I can to the team. Hopefully that does us well.”

Q: What would you say to young players about being versatile in the modern game? 

A: “It is massively important to be versatile. At Liverpool we have Trent. He is an unbelievable footballer and I think he could play pretty much anywhere. There are so many things I can take from him. It helps the manager to pick you when he knows you can play in certain positions. I am pretty versatile myself. I played as a winger all the way up through youth football and I was deployed to play there recently for Northern Ireland and really enjoyed it. I enjoy the challenge of playing new positions and learning about them.”