Liverpool may have a player ready to take up the “Steven Gerrard role” in Jurgen Klopp’s team – but his name is not Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool-born-and-bred right-back has long been touted to move from defence into midfield having played as a No. 6 in the academy under Klopp’s No 2 Pep Lijnders.
Alexander-Arnold was Lijnders’ captain for the under-16s but he was remodelled as a right-back as the best means to break into the first team. Now the vice-captain of the seniors, the 25-year-old from West Derby is as pivotal a player as anyone to Klopp’s side and an incredible passer.
It has long been suggested due to his immense quality on the ball that he could step into midfield for Liverpool, and since last April he has operated in a hybrid role that sees him move into central areas in possession. Gerrard himself started out as a right-back in 1999 before becoming a legendary box-to-box midfielder.
And Klopp has been told he has another player in his squad fully equipped to become a full-time midfielder in the mould of the iconic former skipper – Conor Bradley. The Northern Irishman made his Premier League debut in a 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth on Sunday, coming away with an assist and also having opportunities to score.
With Alexander-Arnold injured, Bradley has impressed in his spate of first-team appearances this month – a substitute cameo at Arsenal before starts against Fulham and Bournemouth. The 20-year-old is a boyhood Liverpool supporter and has been at the club since 2019.
He already has 13 Northern Ireland caps and enjoyed a brilliant season on loan at Bolton Wanderers in League One last season, returning seven goals and six assists in 53 games in a right wing-back role. But his former coach at Dungannon United Youth, Joe McAree, a legend in the Irish League, argues his future is in the middle f the pitch.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: “The Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, and all his coaches know a lot more than me but the first opportunity that Conor gets in my opinion to play the Steven Gerrard midfield role, they will see an even better player. No one will change my mind on that.
“It’s because of his ability to get from box to box and his quality of passing. He can see a killer pass. Not only has he the ability to control and pass a football, which is the first thing you need at Liverpool Football Club, he has an outstanding engine. He’s a fantastic player who can go very far in the game.
“We played him in the centre of midfield and he was different class — a joy to work with. On top of what he has ability wise, Conor has a great attitude and presents himself well. He is a normal boy from up the country who has gone to Liverpool and done tremendously well and hasn’t changed one bit.”
And that follows comparisons between Gerrard and Bradley from ex-Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino, who said: “I have to mention Conor Bradley at full-back, he runs like Steven Gerrard, I know people get annoyed when you compare someone to Gerrard.
“But I looked at him and thought he’s a midfielder, he’s going to play in midfield for Liverpool. He has relentless energy, he covers every blade of grass, and he’s absolutely perfect to play in the midfield position the way Klopp plays.”
Whether Bradley gets a chance to play for Liverpool in midfield is unclear given the level of competition there. As it stands he is the No. 2 right-back behind Alexander-Arnold, a position which promises more minutes.
And if Alexander-Arnold continues in his long-term hybrid role, Bradley might just be the perfect stand-in for the Reds. He could save Klopp a lot of money if that proves the case. If he then develops into a box-to-box midfielder with even half as much quality as Gerrard, the Liverpool manager won’t be complaining.
