Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley continued his fine start to life with League One outfit Bolton Wanders by firing a spectacular maiden goal for the club during Tuesday's 5-1 EFL Cup triumph over Salford City.
Handed a much-needed rest after a pulsating start to his season-long loan at the University of Bolton stadium, the Northern Irishman was summoned from the bench by manager Ian Evatt with 15 minutes of the contest remaining. However, less than 120 seconds after his introduction, Bradley opened his account in senior football with a sublime 25-yard strike into the top corner after receiving the ball in an advanced central-midfield position.
Turning impressively as the ball was played into his feet, the young full-back evaded a challenge from a Salford midfielder and drove into the acres of space before firing a Steven Gerrard-esque strike from range, which flew past goalkeeper Tom King into the top corner. That was the fourth Bolton goal on a night that did not go to plan for Salford - who are co-owned by Gary Neville and a number of ex-Manchester United stars.
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Bradley's development will be aided by the fact those from Liverpool are able to keep a close eye on his development over the course of the campaign, due to the geographical proximity between both clubs, with the Reds' U21 assistant manager and analyst Ray Shearwood present for the full-back's impressive cameo at the University of Bolton Stadium on Tuesday evening.
For the defender, who made the move to Merseyside from Dungannon United in 2019, it was a performance which saw him continue his fine form during his first professional loan away from Anfield. Having made his debut for Liverpool's first team in the League Cup third-round tie against Norwich City last September, the right-back was handed the chance to gain regular senior football in England's third division - having already made his international debut for Northern Ireland in 2021 and since racking up a further seven appearances for Ian Baraclough's side.
Already during his first three outings for the Trotters, the 19-year-old has earned glowing praise from his manager and supporters alike as he's helped Ian Evatt's men start the League One campaign with four points from their opening two games - winning a penalty on his debut against Ipswitch before teeing up striker Kyle Dempsey to fire Bolton's opener in their 3-0 victory over Wycombe just last weekend.
Such a performance saw the youngster earn the latest milestone of a promising career thus far as he was named in the League One Team of the Week on Monday evening.
For manager Evatt, his interest in Liverpool's Northern Irish talent dates back to January 2022 when Bolton tried to boost their promotion hopes by landing the 19-year-old on loan until the end of the season. However, that approach was swiftly rejected by the Reds, with Bradley at the time viewed as very much a part of Klopp's plans for the final months of the season as Neco Williams searched for a move away from Anfield.
But that wasn't the first time the former Blackpool and Chesterfield captain had been alerted to Bradley's potential, with the Bolton manager first being told about the promise of the right-back during his time on his UEFA Pro Licence course, which he completed in the defender's native Northern Ireland.
"His athletic profile is perfect for that position," said Evatt on the Liverpool loanee after Saturday's victory over Wycombe. "He obviously needs to do a lot of work in the gym but he’s 18, 19 years old and that’s going to come as he grows and develops as a young man, but to get to that elite level and the top of the game we’re talking about here - Liverpool and international football, Champions League - he has to be the best or one of the best in that position.
“He has the potential to be but it’s only potential at the moment. It’s about realising that potential but the most important thing for me is his attitude and work ethic and if he keeps that up and stays humble, he’s got a really bright future.
“He needs to constantly improve all aspects of his game, but he does and he works on it relentlessly, so we’re really pleased with him. We’re not surprised at all because we do a lot of due diligence on these players and our relationship with Liverpool is a strong one, so we’re pleased and hopefully he’ll continue to develop throughout the year.”
Evatt added: “It’s a good fit for Liverpool because they know he’s going to come here and be played and taught the same way and also a good fit for us because we don’t have to work on him from scratch and from day one. He’s already used to doing it and I think we’re seeing the benefit of that.”
The former Barrow manager, who hails Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as his managerial inspiration, has employed a possession-based philosophy at the University of Bolton stadium since his arrival in the summer of 2020. Currently lining up in a 3-5-2, with wing-backs, Bradley has been handed an abundance of freedom already during his time on loan - which has allowed him to showcase his attacking talents in the final third of the pitch and sharpen his game in a similar manner to current Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Bolton finished ninth in the third-tier last campaign and, with the early season of Bradley, will be hoping to secure a return to the Championship this season after a four-year exile following their relegation in 2019.
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