Conor Bradley’s loan move won’t ruin his Liverpool dream, insists former Anfield hero Neil Mellor

The 18-year-old joined Liverpool’s Academy in 2019 and made his first-team debut at Norwich City in the Carabao Cup last September.

He has also featured in FA Cup and Champions League games, though he’s still to make his Premier League debut.

Mellor said: “I don’t think Liverpool will be in any rush to make decisions on him yet.

“Not many lads that young get to go out on loan. That shows how good Conor is that he can cope with a move already.”

The Tyrone lad, who came through the ranks at Dungannon Swifts, looked set to be Trent Alexander-Arnold’s back-up next term after Neco Williams was granted permission to leave the club this summer.

But the Reds have signed Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen for £4m plus add-ons, knocking Bradley back down the pecking order.

Liverpool-daft Bradley impressed in the Under-23s last season and has been earmarked for a bright Reds future after being nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award.

“I like Conor as a player,” added Mellor. “I’ve been impressed watching him develop the last couple of years and pleased he can develop more with some senior game time in a very competitive League.

“He is only 18 and has plenty of learning and development left in him.

“When I watch Conor, I always think he plays with a great desire and intensity.

“He is an attacking full-back who has decent pace and can make things happen going forward.

“Now is his chance to match himself against senior pros every week.”

Mellor had loan spells at West Ham and Wigan during his four years at Anfield before eventually moving on to Preston on a permanent deal.

But Mellor says Liverpool’s treatment of loan deals has been completely revamped in the 15 years since then and Bradley’s experience will be vastly different.

An intriguing sign that Bradley remains part of Liverpool’s future plans was sporting director Michael Edwards visiting Bolton’s Lostock training ground to do due diligence on the loan move.

“The loans are done completely differently these days, and for the better for players and club,” said Mellor.

“I was left to make my own decision where I wanted to go and nobody visited me or spoke with me while I was on loan.

“Now the players know that they are being watched and have constant communication with the parent club.”

Bolton boss Ian Evatt revealed that he was thwarted in an attempt to get Bradley on loan in January and was a priority in the summer window.

Mellor, who watches a lot of League One as a Sky Sports pundit, says regular first-team games, even in the third tier, will help Ian Baraclough and allow Bradley to add to his eight Northern Ireland caps.

He continued: “It is a good standard and a very competitive League with some massive clubs competing to get back to the Championship.

“Conor is good enough to play in the Championship but game time might have been more limited and so going to a decent team in League One will mean he will get more games.

“It is up to him to show the qualities we know he has.”

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