Conor Bradley shows he can be a Liverpool starter but injuries threaten role

Conor Bradley has committed his long-term future at Liverpool and with Trent Alexander-Arnold bidding farewell, his time has come to stake the claim as a regular starter.

The Northern Irishman quickly became one of the key talking points throughout the season thanks to the contract farce that followed the club’s vice-captain up until the title was confirmed.

Bradley made his career-high appearances for the club throughout 2024/25 and showed plenty of promise for what is to come, but injuries continued to have their way with the young right-back.

 

Crunching tackles and intensity

Bradley’s commitment to the club until 2027 underlines where Liverpool and the player see their relationship heading, both eager to get the most from one another.

The 21-year-old continues to develop at an impressive rate and has quickly endeared himself to the fanbase with his energy, intensity and willingness to work for the team.

“Conor has such an intense playing style,” Slot assessed earlier this year.

“They all run a lot but Conor is in his own league when it comes to running a lot, comparable maybe with Achraf Hakimi at PSG. He is everywhere during the game.”

If there is one thing we can guarantee about Bradley, it is that he will make every effort to get back and help his fellow defenders rather than watch it all unfold from a distance.

His leadership credentials were also in the spotlight after taking the captain’s armband for Northern Ireland during the November break – Liverpool can never have too many leaders.

While there are areas for improvement, namely close to his box, Bradley offers a different skill set to that of his predecessor, as he exemplified in the 2-0 win over Real Madrid.

He cut off any danger on the counter from the Spanish side, who can forget that perfectly timed tackle on Kylian Mbappe that had Anfield on its feet as though the full-back had scored.

While incapable of replicating the No. 66’s passing range, few are, Bradley then showed his ability to influence play when moving inside, ending up with a headed chance before setting up Alexis Mac Allister‘s goal.

With his positional sense growing, Bradley has proved himself a reliable operator at right-back but there is one major issue that threatens his long-term future as a first-choice starter.

 

Injuries remain a big concern

Although Liverpool’s injury situation improved drastically under the tutelage of Slot, Bradley could not escape the clutches of the treatment room having missed 19 games in all competitions.

Only Joe Gomez (24) missed more for the Reds, with the duo accounting for 33.3 percent of the matches missed by senior players.

On four different occasions, Bradley succumbed to a fitness issue, primarily to his hamstring, which required Slot and the medical team to manage his minutes throughout the season.

The 21-year-old, therefore, completed a full 90 minutes just five times – that includes just one in the Premier League at Southampton in November.

For a player expected to shoulder considerably more responsibility after Alexander-Arnold’s departure, it is not a run of consistent minutes and games that instil confidence.

In 2023/24, Bradley also missed 23 games primarily due to a stress fracture in his back, meaning he has now been unavailable for 42 games across two seasons – equivalent to 36.8 percent of Liverpool’s games.

It is the big question mark facing Bradley and his future, if he can stay fit. However, he insisted upon signing his new long-term that he feels “physically strong.”

“I think more than anything I’m just growing into my body a bit more now,” he told the club’s website.

“I feel a lot more physically strong, I feel quicker, I feel more powerful – and I think that’s really helping me when I do play games.”

With Jeremie Frimpong having already arrived to add depth to the right flank, Bradley will be under no disillusion as to the levels of consistency he needs to find with his body in 2025/26.

 

Succession, competition and injury management

As soon as Alexander-Arnold officially announced he would not be staying at Anfield beyond the summer, Bradley became the de facto first-choice right-back at Liverpool.

It lists a whole new set of demands and Slot was more than aware of the “next step” needed in Bradley’s development.

He said: “I think that is the next step for him in his development, playing every single week and feeling that pressure, and at a certain moment probably that doesn’t feel like pressure anymore.”

Bradley’s longest spell in the XI in 2024/25 was the three games to close out the season, the succession plan in motion before Frimpong was quickly signed.

The Dutchman’s arrival casts doubt over the role Bradley will have moving forward, but the likelihood is that the Northern Irishman will feature heavily, with Slot having the option to rotate.

A lot will rest in the hands of Bradley’s ability to stay fit, with the fitness department to continue to devise and tweak their training plan that ensures he avoids further issues that keep him out of the side.

With a new contract signed until 2027, Bradley will be determined to take the title as the first-choice right-back, but to do that he must show he can be relied on week in, and week out.

---

Best moment: Perfectly timed crunching tackle on Kylian Mbappe. It was glorious.

Worst moment: Defensive lapse in defeat to Forest at Anfield.

Role next season: Regular starter at right-back, competition from Frimpong