Liverpool confirm departure of player Jurgen Klopp hailed as ‘wonderful, talented boy’

Conor Bradley has joined Bolton Wanderers on a season-long loan.

The 18-year-old departs Liverpool as he looks to get his first taste of sustained senior football at the League One club.

Background

Bradley enjoyed a breakthrough into the Reds’ first team in the 2021-22 campaign.

He made five appearances in total - one of which being off the bench in a Champions League victory over AC Milan at the San Siro.

What’s more, Bradley was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season for his performances for the under-23s.

The right-back is also a full Northern Ireland international and was hailed as a wonderful, top player by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in March.

But being behind Trent Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order, coupled with the Reds signing Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen for a fee of up to £6.5 million, they’ve loaned Bradley out to Bolton for him to garner regular minutes.

What’s been said

Trotters manager Ian Evatt told the club’s website: “This is another deal we are really pleased to get done with a top Premier League club and thanks to Liverpool for allowing Bradley to spend the season with us.

“Conor was a target for us in January. It wasn’t achievable then because Liverpool wanted him for their first team but they’ve trusted us to be the next phase of his development and, again, that’s a huge feather in our cap.

“He has made a superb start to his career for club and country and we are looking forward to working with him next season.

“He has the opportunity here to become a key member of the first team in a position we have been looking to strengthen.

“It’s an exciting acquisition which again shows the club is heading in the right direction and we really hope Conor has a successful and enjoyable time with us.

“I believe he’s going to be a top, top player, so it’s great for us.”

‘A real fighter’

When asked why Bradley wasn’t involved in Liverpool’s 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Nottingham Forest in March, Klopp heaped praise on the youngster.

He said: “Conor, top boy. All good. Because we had a full squad in the last [few] weeks, he was not with us all the time. Obviously we had the spell where he was pretty much in all sessions with us, but not now in the last few weeks.

“So, I cannot say now exactly how he [has] developed in the last few weeks because he was not here. But, from the things I know and what I saw, [he is] a wonderful, talented boy with a big heart. A real fighter, and it’s a joy to have him around – that’s what I can say.”