At 21, Conor Bradley is one of Liverpools younger defenders, with the majority of his career still ahead of him.
His development in the clubs youth academy has instilled several characteristic tactical elements of Liverpools playing philosophy in his game, which we will examine in greater detail throughout this article.
Bradley took his first steps in professional football with Bolton Wanderers in League One before returning to Liverpool for the 2023/24 season.
He immediately made appearances in several league matches, even starting in some.
This season, Bradley had the opportunity to start for Liverpool in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
However, he currently remains a rotational option, primarily due to the exceptionally strong competition in Liverpool’s backline.
The undisputed starter, Trent Alexander-Arnold, typically occupies the right-back position.
Last season, Bradley was frequently given the opportunity to start matches, earning a total of 10 appearances in the starting lineup in the Premier League alone.
This season, however, Bradley has predominantly been used as a substitute and has only been included in the starting XI once in the Premier League.
This shift might be attributed to the arrival of the new manager and a slightly adjusted tactical philosophy at Liverpool.
This aspect will be explored in more detail at the end of the article.
Conor Bradley Statistical Overview
As the accompanying heatmap shows, Bradley is also highly active offensively down the right flank.
As a right-footed player, Bradley operates on the right side, where his far-side foot makes it more challenging for opponents to press effectively.
The heatmap clearly illustrates that Bra
