CONOR Bradley is well aware he doesn’t have this football lark licked yet, so it’s very much tongue-in-cheek when the Tyrone lad suggests his ‘Fifa 23’ rating should be '99, maybe’.
Still a teenager, having turned 19 in July, the boy who left Aghyaran for Liverpool FC, via Dungannon United Youth, is now on loan with Bolton Wanderers – and aiming to impress even more on the senior international scene.
Northern Ireland play their last two Nations League C, Group 2 matches over the next week, still seeking a first win after 14 matches in the competition. Having only picked up two points in this campaign, both against lowly Cyprus, they host Kosovo this Saturday, before heading to Greece for their final game, probably needing to pick up at least a point if they’re to avoid demotion to the bottom tier.
Bradley has netted three times already this season for the League One club and is keen to keep catching the eye of NI boss Ian Baraclough and also his parent club, because he knows they’re watching – even Jurgen Klopp.
“I didn't really speak to him [Klopp] one-to-one myself but I've had texts and stuff off him just saying ‘Go out and enjoy it and just do your best, obviously, and get as many games as possible.’ They've all been great with me, they stay in close contact…
“We’ve got a group for all the loanees and he texts into it when I get an assist or I score or have played well. They’re always texting in, wishing us all the best for the games and saying ‘Well done’ if I score.”
Leaving Liverpool is a temporary move in Bradley’s eyes, with his sights still set on a future at Anfield: ““Yeah, definitely. That’s been massive, that they’re still keeping in contact and want to know how I’m doing and settling in, Liverpool has been great that way. I have nothing but praise for them.”
The settling-in process at Bolton has been made easier by the presence of a few familiar faces and accents: NI colleague Dion Charles, former Derry City man Eoin Toal from county Armagh, and Bradley’s great pal from LFC, Owen Beck:
“It has been quite easy to settle in, to be honest, because the lads have been brilliant, they've all been speaking to me. Obviously having Dion, Eoin Toal, Owen Beck, there as well has been a great help. I’ve found myself trying to help Owen Beck fit in, he came in after me and I know him from Liverpool, so I’ve been trying to help him ease in with the boys, which has been good.”
The move had to be made in order to secure regular senior football, he accepts: “I definitely needed to go out and play as many games as I could. It’s going to be a big learning curve for me, but one I’m relishing and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
The physicality and regularity of League One matches are two aspects which Bradley feels are improving his game:
“I feel good this season. Obviously it's been a step up for me playing twice a week. It's been difficult at times but hopefully it's something that will help me in the long term.
“Definitely I feel more confident. Obviously I've got a bit of rhythm from playing twice a week but it's mainly the confidence part. I feel good about myself from playing most of the games with Bolton. I just want to kick on now and transfer that into a Northern Ireland shirt.”
He acknowledges that the physical difference “has been a massive challenge. I wasn’t used to that playing with the U23s at Liverpool, so stepping up into the first-team game and going up against proper men has been difficult but I am learning from it and feel like I am getting better from it every week.”
In a virtuous circle, featuring for NI seniors helped him acclimatise at Bolton, and now League One football can help him on the international scene:
“Playing in front of fans and stuff, it has helped me prepare that way and help me deal with the first-team game. Playing for Northern Ireland was a massive help for me going forward this year…
“If you were to compare me from six, 12 months ago to now, I feel I’m a much better player. I am getting in the box a lot more, timing my runs a lot better, and I have also scored a couple of goals, which is a positive.
"I’m developing my game management, being able to deal with different situations. I am young and there are players stronger than me, so it is dealing with things like that."
Playing as a wing-back, a system Baraclough also favours, should stand Bradley in good stead with Northern Ireland:
“That's the way the gaffer at Bolton [Ian Evatt] wants us to play, he wants the wing-backs creating and getting in the box and trying to tuck away some chances, so yeah, I've been loving it so far. I hope I can pop up with another couple of goals over the rest of the season.
“If we [NI] play with the wing-backs it’ll be good because we’ve played that all season, it’d obviously be really good for me. ‘Bara’ likes to play quite similar the way we do at Bolton, with the wing-backs, he wants his wing-backs in the [opposition] box, so hopefully that’s somewhere I can add to.
“That's something I want to add to my game this season. Getting into the box and scoring a few goals. "I feel like I have done that so far this season and hopefully I get many more as the season progresses."
Bradley has belief that better results will come for Northern Ireland, hopefully with him playing a part: “We were disappointed in June, we felt we could have done better. But there’s still a positive mood in the camp, especially with this window coming up. We’ve got some familiar faces back, so it’s all positive and hopefully we can get two positive results.
“Hopefully I get the chance to play a couple of games and put in the best performances I can. I’m looking to bring the club momentum with me, bring that confidence I am playing with, and put that into the Northern Ireland team.”
