Conor Bradley showed he's ready to fill Trent Alexander-Arnold's boots at Liverpool after taking his chance against Arsenal, writes LEWIS STEELE

Before the location fans turned connected Trent Alexander-Arnold it had each been alternatively nice.

There was a smattering of jeers for the soon-to-be Galactico erstwhile his sanction was work retired astatine kick-off but from determination until Alexander-Arnold’s instauration aptly connected infinitesimal 66, this time was much astir appreciating the adjacent successful enactment alternatively than lambasting the departing star.

Plenty has been said astir his impending exit — and it has reached saturation point. But we should not place aboriginal Reds prima Conor Bradley.

Had helium been afloat fit, Bradley would person played the afloat 90 minutes here. No uncertainty astir it. But the Northern Ireland planetary took a sound successful grooming a fortnight agone truthful could lone play for astir an hr and forced manager Arne Slot into the awkward determination to present Alexander-Arnold.

Then the enactment turned sour.

Before that, though, Bradley had been handed a aureate accidental to beryllium whether oregon not helium is acceptable to instrumentality the reins from Alexander-Arnold. Did helium instrumentality his chance? Absolutely.

Not that helium needed to bash so. He was not going to beryllium judged connected this show unsocial — but it surely helped that helium enactment successful a shrewd first-half display.

The 21-year-old acceptable the code conscionable 46 seconds into the lucifer erstwhile helium made a crunching tackle connected Gabriel Martinelli. 

The Kop reacted by singing his name, immoderate designation considering helium was playing successful League One connected indebtedness astatine Bolton 2 years ago.

Yet this is present world for the lad from Castlederg, County Tyrone. He tin present beryllium the main man, adjacent erstwhile noting the information Liverpool volition prosecute a caller close backmost to vie for the regular starting berth. 

They would beryllium fools not to, fixed Bradley is conscionable 21 and has fittingness issues. He cannot play each crippled adjacent if helium was the ‘Castlederg Cafu’.

But Slot has compared Bradley to Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and says, with accordant minutes, helium volition get implicit his muscular problems. Hakimi whitethorn not beryllium a household sanction but the examination is simply a large compliment.

The positions Bradley took up successful this lucifer were interesting, too, often playing higher than anyone but the beforehand three, popping up successful pockets close alongside Mo Salah. On different day, helium mightiness person had an assistance oregon two.

His moving benignant reminds Mail Sport of a chat with the antheral who discovered a young Bradley connected the Northern Ireland younker scene, Joe McAree, past year.

He said: ‘This lad tin get from container to container similar a reindeer… tremendous stamina, helium tin thread passes into places you wouldn’t cognize were there.

‘From the archetypal time I met him successful a cafe, helium looked maine successful the oculus and smiled, it conscionable felt different. For an 11-year-old lad it was conscionable different, the absorption helium had. He knew what helium wanted to be.’ 

There is nary uncertainty Bradley volition privation to make an imprint connected the squad successful a akin vein to the large afloat backmost duo of Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

So forget, if you can, the choler thrown astatine Alexander-Arnold… this is Bradley’s clip to shine.