Although Conor Bradley had already made a name for himself for Liverpool in the previous month, his incredible goal against Chelsea has now made everyone take notice of the young Northern Irish player.

On Wednesday, Conor Bradley scored his first goal for Liverpool, demonstrating the finishing ability he may have picked up from his stint as a forward with Dungannon Swifts.

However, it was his early goal that made an impression on The Swifts’ head of youth development, demonstrating his character.

“I remember the one where we organised a friendly game and we were winning pretty easily. He came down to us when he was eleven years old,” Dixie Robinson remarked. Since he didn’t have much to do, Conor made the decision to enter the game as the goalie and let the young player get out and play. He is that. He has no self-interest.

“You can talk about his skill and everything, but that just checks one of many boxes to play at the highest level; he was always so good in the group, so humble, and willing to work.”

Bradley’s unique talent has long been recognised in Dungannon, and it was even more so in Castlederg, where he began his career with St Patrick’s before moving on to Maiden City. Liverpool, however, has been aware of him since his early adolescent years, when he would frequently visit their academy to exercise.

 

But on Wednesday night, the rest of the world was able to witness the 20-year-old Northern Ireland defender’s brilliance as he scored a goal and provided two assists to help Jurgen Klopp’s team destroy Chelsea.

“We were always aware that he would move across the ocean to pursue a full-time opportunity, and it goes without saying that Liverpool was the team that had followed him since he was a very young player prior to coming here,” said Robinson. “I’ve played football for a very long time; it’s fantastic to be able to pursue a career in the sport, but it’s even more incredible to be playing at that level for one of the top teams in the world. We adore him so much.

 

Bradley has seized his chances ever since an illness outbreak at St Patrick’s caused his cousin Shay Gallagher to persuade their manager Rory Lynch to take an eight-year-old to a primary school competition.

Bradley was a childhood Red who loved football and was an avid athlete for Finn Valley AC in Donegal. He was also a promising Gaelic football player, hailing from Aghyaran, County Tyrone. It was hoped that he would represent Tyrone at the county level in GAA, as he enjoyed playing for his hometown team, St Davog’s Aghyaran. However, when he moved to Dungannon at the age of 13, football took precedence.

“We know the referee who called the club, saying he officiated the best player he’d seen in a long time,” Robinson remarked. When he was eleven years old, we invited him down, and he participated in a couple of our friendly games with Dungannon United Youths, our young group at the time.

“As it happened, he wasn’t signing for us at the moment. Conor consented to move on, but I stayed in close communication with his mother Linda, who provided Conor with constant support and presence in all of his endeavours. He joined us after a few years.

His skills were previously known to Liverpool, who invited him over for workouts, but at the time, other clubs were snooping around. Robinson claimed, “He’s been running around in a Liverpool kit since he was a young lad.” Conor was always interested in Liverpool, even though I know other teams were considering him and sent him here for trials.

But it was Mum Linda who made sure his feet remained planted firmly on the ground. Northern Ireland was another. Bradley’s 2018 Victory Shield victory marked only Northern Ireland’s second-ever triumph in the juvenile competition. Out of the five players on the Dungannon Swifts squad, four are currently engaged in professional sports on this side of the Irish Sea. Bradley, though, stood out. At age 20, he already has 13 senior caps.

Robinson described him as “very, very athletic, lightning quick, so much pace, not much about him at the time, and a fantastic athlete.” He was an exceptionally good child when it came to his love of the game. He was obsessed with playing. His presence among the group was contagious.

 

Under a scholarship arrangement, Bradley relocated to Liverpool in 2019 and a year later inked a professional contract. Before spending the previous season on loan at Bolton, where he won the Players’ Player of the Year award following a strong League One campaign, he made his debut in the League Cup against Norwich in 2021. He participated in 58 games for both club and nation during that campaign to prepare for the challenges of the highest level of competition.

He missed the first half of this season due to a back ailment he sustained during the preseason, but he took the risk when Trent Alexander-Arnold was hurt early in the month. He now has five straight starts, five assists, and a goal. He played like a much more seasoned player against Chelsea, and his finish was as stunning.

 

Robinson stated, “It would be accurate to say that wasn’t the finish of a right back.” He could play up front and wide for us. He embraces the Liverpool touchline, as you can see. He understands where he must be.

Alexander-Arnold is now totally fit, therefore Klopp, the manager of the Liverpool team, is really confused about who to play against Arsenal on Sunday. It is indicative of his growth that he will be starting in a crucial match for Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League.