Conor Bradley has already shown he can be better than Trent Alexander-Arnold, believes one of his longest-serving modern predecessors as Liverpool’s right-back.
Northern Ireland captain Bradley is likely to compete for the position with £29.5 million signing Jeremie Frimpong this season after Alexander-Arnold ended a 21-year association with the club to join Real Madrid.
“He’s more than capable,” ex-England international Glen Johnson says of 22-year-old Bradley.
“When called upon last year, he stepped in and arguably, at times, played better than Trent. As long as he can do that across the season, the hole will be filled pretty quickly.”
Bradley, Frimpong ‘can tow’ at Liverpool
Netherlands international Frimpong, who arrived from Leverkusen in May and scored in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, is likely to start against Bournemouth on Friday (20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with Bradley carrying a minor injury.
“If him and Frimpong can tow each other along and make each other improve, whoever gets the momentum early will probably be the one who starts,” observed Johnson, speaking via William Hill Vegas.
“But I definitely think Conor Bradley’s got enough to take the position, for sure. You could probably do wing-backs with Conor Bradley. They’ve both got an engine and can get up and down the pitch.”
Frimpong recorded the seventh-fastest top speed in the Bundesliga last season at 36.34 km/h, while Virgil van Dijk was the only Liverpool player to match Bradley’s 34.9 km/h in the Champions League.
Liverpool full-backs: No ‘breathers’
Johnson knows how tough it is to excel in attack and defence as a right-back, with his exceptional career featuring 200 appearances for Liverpool between 2009 and 2015, almost winning the title in 2013/14.
“To play as a full-back for a whole season is demanding,” he said. “You’re going to need legs. It is very taxing because you’re pretty much involved in everything.
“If the ball’s on the left, you’re coming into the middle and almost being a midfielder. When the ball’s on your side, you’re a right-winger and a right-back.
“There are some positions where you can have a little breather but, as a full-back or wing-back, you can’t.
“Everyone gets their stats and numbers and whatnot, but nobody runs more than the full-backs.”
Who will win the Premier League?
Liverpool finished 10 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table in 2024/25, helped by Manchester City having a poor season by their standards under Pep Guardiola.
Johnson expects all three clubs and another of his former sides, Chelsea, to be among the challengers.
“There’s a gap but Arsenal will be there and City will improve somewhere back to their best,” predicted Johnson, whose achivements include an FA Cup win with Portsmouth in 2008, lifting the EFL Cup with Liverpool in 2012 and going to two editions of the World Cup and Euro 2012 on the way to winning 54 Three Lions caps.
“With a bit more consistency, I can see Chelsea being a lot closer to the title as well. Winning any league is tough but early momentum is always key and those other teams are going to improve.”
Conor Bradley stats
Bradley first played for Liverpool against Norwich City in September 2021, becoming the first Northern Irishman to feature for them in a competitive game since Sammy Smyth in 1954.
He finished the 2021/22 season on five appearances and won Bolton’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards while spending the subsequent campaign on loan with Wanderers, as well as winning the EFL Trophy.
After returning to his parent club, Bradley made 23 appearances in all competitions in 2023/24, scoring his first Liverpool goal in a 4-1 home win over Chelsea in January 2024 and winning the EFL Cup the following month.
He made 29 Liverpool appearances last season, with five of his seven starts coming after Alexander-Arnold said he would be leaving.
Read Glen Johnson’s thoughts on Chelsea and Burnley’s Kyle Walker in 2025/26.
Jeremie Frimpong stats
After 10 years in Manchester City’s youth ranks, Frimpong left in 2019 for Celtic, with whom he won a Scottish treble and the club’s young player of the season award in 2019/20.
Leverkusen signed Frimpong as a 20-year-old in 2021, paying a reported fee of up to £11.5m for a player who helped them win the Bundesliga and reach the Europa League final in 2023/24.
Frimpong was named in the Bundesliga team of the season for each of his two final campaigns at the club and made the first of his 13 senior Oranje appearances in 2023, including a place in their Euro 2024 squad.
How to watch Liverpool on TV: Sky Sports
Prices for Sky Sports and TNT Sports vary. Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £26 a month for a six-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.
How to watch Liverpool on TNT Sports
According to BT, TNT Sports costs £20 a month when bought with a broadband package or £30.99 a month without a contract.
Those prices include discovery+ Premium, which offers access to thousands of exclusive shows and originals.
Liverpool live streams: How to watch online
Both broadcasters have dedicated apps allowing fans to live-stream the games: SkyGO for Sky Sports and discovery+ for TNT Sports.
Both apps are available on a vast range of devices, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, set-top boxes and mobile devices.
