Conor Bradley: Position, style of play, stats, international caps & more

The suspected departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold begs the question as to whether Conor Bradley is ready to step up and become a regular in Arne Slot's Liverpool XI.

While the argument could be made that Alexander-Arnold is irreplaceable, possessing qualities that we've rarely, if ever, seen from a right-back, the Reds are well placed in identifying the Liverpudlian's successor, with Northern Ireland captain Bradley primed to take his opportunity.

Here is everything you need to know about Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley.

Conor Bradley age, nationality & background

Born on 9th July 2003, Conor Bradley is 21 years old.

Bradley was born in Castlederg, Norther Ireland, where he in fact played Gaelic football from a young age.

Attributes

Position

Bradley is naturally a right-back, but is comfortable in a more advanced right midfield role.

Height and build

Bradley is 5ft 11ins and of a lean build.

Preferred foot

Bradley is predominantly right-footed, though he is competent on his weaker left foot.

Style of play

While Alexander-Arnold often prefers to take up more central areas in order to get on the ball as much as possible, Bradley is more of an orthodox right-back, providing width and more willing to make overlapping runs.

Known for his tenacity and explosiveness, the right-back is impressive in one v one duels, both in attacking and defensive situations.

He ranks extremely high for tackles in the final third, whilst also possessing staggering numbers in the progressive carries metric, demonstrating his qualities both on and off the ball.

While his ability in control of possession may not rank as high as Alexander-Arnold, we shouldn't downplay his technical proficiencies, extremely reliable in possession and rarely giving the ball away.

Stats

Metric	Total (Per 90)	Rank
Short passes completed	31.56	Top 4%
Tackles in attacking third	0.56	Top 1%
Dribblers tackled	1.97	Top 3%
Progressive carries	4.21	Top 2%
% of aerials won	66.7%	Top 3%

(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers in Men's Big 5 Leagues in last 365 days).

Is Conor Bradley ready to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold?

Well, based on the statistics above, the simple answer would be yes. That said, the question isn't as easy as it may seem.

Alexander-Arnold has revolutionised the right-back role, providing the fifth most assists in the Premier League since the 2017/18 season, the campaign in which he made his breakthrough.

While it may be hard for Liverpool fans to accept, it's highly unlikely that Bradley will reproduce such numbers, but that's not to say he won't evolve and become an accomplished right-back for the Reds.

With no glaringly obvious replacements on the market, there is a chance that Slot may look to Northern Ireland's captain to fulfil a more established first team role.

Nonetheless, it's hard to image that Slot will be content heading into the 2025/26 campaign with just one natural right-back, so don't be surprised if Liverpool add someone who can compete for the starting spot in Liverpool's XI.

Career so far

Previous clubs

Whilst playing for hometown club St Patrick's at the age of nine, Bradley was recognised by Liverpool and was granted an opportunity with the club's Northern Ireland development centre.

The right-back would spend three years between 2016 and 2019 playing for Dungannon Swifts, before officially signing for the Reds in 2019.

Following two years in the youth setup, Bradley made his first-team debut for Liverpool in a 2021/22 EFL Cup tie against Norwich City.

After impressing during a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers in the 2022/23 campaign, Bradley would return to Merseyside and become a key member of the squad.

International caps

Bradley's rise in international football has been nothing short of remarkable up to now, captaining Northern Ireland just three years after his senior debut.

Having represented his nation at U16 and U17 level, Bradley made the leap to senior international football in May 2021, where he would replace Stuart Dallas in a 3-0 win over Malta to make his debut.

He is now closing in on 20 international caps for his nation, whilst regularly wearing the armband.

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