International manager says what Liverpool will be saying in private about Conor Bradley.
Liverpool have a rising star on their hands in the form of Conor Bradley, who has been tipped to shine under Arne Slot.
Bradley should start under Slot, having massively impressed at Liverpool despite his brief spell in the first-team so far.
The right-back could challenge Trent Alexander-Arnold for a starting role, with Bradley tipped to start against Ipswich Town.
It remains to be seen which of the pair Slot will go for at Portman Road, with the more experienced of the duo perhaps getting the nod.
Alexander-Arnold could, however, move into a midfield role, with the Reds having so far failed to sign a new number six.
(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Conor Bradley of Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at Lincoln…
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Michael O’Neill makes Conor Bradley claim at Liverpool
That could allow Bradley to start against Ipswich, but his international manager Michael O’Neill believes he shouldn’t be limited to a right-back role.
“There’s always uncertainty when a new manager comes in, but I think the signs for Conor have been very positive since Arne Slot came in and it’s just about trying to get as many minutes as possible,” O’Neill told BBC Sport NI’s Sportsound programme.
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“That’s not an easy task with a squad like Liverpool have but while he has always played at right-back for Liverpool he has shown for Northern Ireland that he can be adaptable.
“We’ve played him in a different couple of positions for NI where he has shown up extremely well. I’m sure Liverpool will have taken note of that.”
Will Arne Slot start Conor Bradley over Trent Alexander-Arnold?
New Liverpool manager Slot has a lot of tough decisions to make regarding his starting side for the trip to Ipswich.
Bradley was heavily relied upon in pre-season by the Dutchman, but that was perhaps due to Alexander-Arnold’s absence.
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The England international returned back to Merseyside much later than the Northern Ireland star due to his Euro 2024 commitments.
And it didn’t take Alexander-Arnold long to find his feet once more, with the right-back setting up Diogo Jota’s goal against Sevilla with an inch-perfect assist.
It will be hard for Slot to find starting roles for both right-backs, but given the club’s inability to land Martin Zubimendi, Alexander-Arnold could push further forward.
But as shown for Northern Ireland, and indeed when flying forward for Liverpool, Bradley is also more than capable of operating further up the pitch.
The 21-year-old scored his first international goal against Scotland in March playing in a more advanced role, before scoring twice against Andorra in June.
