Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist were both wowed by the performance of one Liverpool player in particular during the 5-2 win over Norwich on Sunday.
The Reds’ FA Cup romp at Anfield saw Conor Bradley help himself to two assists and scoop the official player of the match award, with the 20-year-old excelling at right-back since coming in for Trent Alexander-Arnold after the latter’s injury earlier in January.
Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast on Monday morning (29 January, 7:35), the former Soccer Saturday host gushed “Conor Bradley, goodness me”, with Rangers’ all-time leading goalscorer beside him in studio adding that the Northern Ireland youngster was “different class”.
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Bradley’s performance on Sunday was so impressive that BBC 5Live pundit Pat Nevin saw fit to dub the 20-year-old a ‘clone’ of Andy Robertson, a valid comparison even if the two full-backs generally line out on opposite flanks.
The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele went as far as suggesting that the Northern Irish youngster’s form could make it challenging for Trent to get back into the starting line-up now that he’s back fit, although Klopp is highly unlikely to omit his massively influential vice-captain through choice.
What seems likelier to happen is that the manager will persist with the younger of the two at right-back and deploy the England international in an out-and-out midfield role, a transition which had been playing out over the past year in any case.
That’d ensure that Bradley deservedly keeps his place in the team while also allowing for greater rotation of Liverpool’s midfielders, which could be hugely beneficial once Europa League commitments kick back into gear.
That the 20-year-old needed just three weeks to leave Klopp with a decision to make in that regard (now that Trent is available once more) is an enormous testament to how impactful he’s been for the Reds in such a short space of time.