Conor Bradley has drawn widespread praise for his exceptional performance in Liverpool’s victory over Real Madrid, earning high recognition from a notable former Manchester United player.
Manchester United great Teddy Sheringham has likened Bradley to Steven Gerrard after the young defender’s influential display in Liverpool’s 1-0 triumph at Anfield.
The Northern Ireland international delivered a commanding performance against the 15-time European champions, successfully nullifying the threat of Vinícius Júnior, just as he had done against Kylian Mbappé the previous year.
Bradley’s display has been met with universal acclaim and has further strengthened his case as Liverpool’s new first-choice right-back. The timing of his performance was also notable, coinciding with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s first return to Anfield since his summer exit.
Manager Arne Slot will be encouraged by Bradley’s resurgence in recent fixtures, especially after a challenging start to the season. Sheringham, however, remains certain of the 22-year-old’s quality.
“Conor Bradley definitely stepped up to the plate last night against Vinicius,” Sheringham told Oddspedia. “Bradley has probably not found that level of consistency yet, but parts of his game make me go, ‘wow’.
“I look at him like a young Steven Gerrard coming onto the scene – he’s got that tenacity and drive about him and has a huge amount of quality.
“I was very impressed by him last night. If he can defend that well against Vinicius – one of the best players in the world – then he’s definitely on the way to becoming a real success at Liverpool. The challenge for him now is whether he can sustain those levels, but I’m confident he’ll be able to in the future.”
While the night proved memorable for Bradley, his predecessor is unlikely to have relished his return to Anfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was met with loud boos from the home crowd, with many supporters still aggrieved over the circumstances surrounding his departure in the summer. However, Sheringham has stepped in to defend the former Liverpool vice-captain.
“Liverpool fans’ reaction to Trent Alexander-Arnold is a perfect example of supporters being fickle,” he said.
“If Trent signed back for Liverpool next season and started performing well, they’d love him all over again.
“There’s clearly a few who give him grief for moving onto bigger and better things. You don’t leave Liverpool to join many other clubs because they’re obviously one of the biggest clubs in the world, but when you get the chance to go to Real Madrid, you’re almost obliged to try your trade there and see if you can do it in a different country at another fantastic club.
“Trent will be upset that the Liverpool fans reacted like that, but it’s just the way football fans are.”
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