Northern Ireland media praises their captain, Liverpool star Conor Bradley, despite having a “quiet game by his own high standards”. Bradley captained Northern Ireland in their dominant 5-0 victory over Bulgaria in the UEFA Nations League game on Tuesday evening.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill is testing the leadership within his squad, appointing Bradley as captain before the international break. The 21-year-old has struggled to earn significant game time under Arne Slot during the early stages of the current season.
However, the lack of opportunity has nothing to do with Bradley’s incredible talent as he competes with vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold. Due to fixture congestion, the Northern Irishman will play a crucial role for the club after the October international break.
The 21-year-old established himself as an important part of the senior squad last season under the legendary manager Jurgen Klopp. Nevertheless, Alexander-Arnold remains the primary option for the right-back position as he is the best playmaker in the Reds’ squad.
According to SofaScore, Bradley had 64 touches with 71% passing accuracy, playing one accurate cross and two accurate long balls. Furthermore, the 21-year-old won six out of 11 ground duels and four out of five aerial duels for his team.
The Northern Ireland captain worked hard to fulfil his defensive duties, making one clearance, two interceptions and four tackles. The Northern Ireland media praised Bradley as the Belfast Telegraph rated his performance at seven out of 10 against Bulgaria. They wrote:
“Proud captain once again, the Liverpool man is a joy to watch when he’s bursting forward with pace. Quiet game by his own high standards but still a class act.”
Bradley will return to Liverpool as the October international break comes to an end and the club football returns. Liverpool will face Chelsea at Anfield in the Premier League clash, followed by RB Leipzig clash in the Champions League.
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The Reds are facing very tough opponents during the congested fixture period and Bradley will rotate a lot with Alexander-Arnold. The 21-year-old needs to continue his progress by delivering consistent performances that could challenge the Liverpool vice-captain.
