JURGEN Klopp described him as a “wonderful, talented boy” and Ian Evatt has already hailed him as “elite” – so it is no wonder there is a buzz around new loan signing Conor Bradley.

The Liverpool defender arrives at Bolton ready to get stuck into a first full season of senior club football.

He has eight full international caps for Northern Ireland and has played Champions League football for the Reds. But at 18, how will he cope with the pressures of playing week-in, week-out for an expectant Bolton fanbase in what the club hope will be a push for promotion.

We asked a man that knows. Theo Squires – once a member of the press team at Wanderers – has covered the Reds at all levels for several years now for the Liverpool Echo.

Here’s what he had to say.

The Bolton News:

Q - What kind of player are Bolton Wanderers getting?

Firstly, Bolton are getting a proper attacking right-back. Bradley loves to get forward, take on a man and put crosses into the box. He got eight assists in Premier League Two last season, and also set up his first goal at senior level for Kaide Gordon in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury. Most of his experience has come in a back four at Liverpool, but such attacking traits could make him perfect as a wing-back too. Liverpool's full-backs obviously have to get up and down the line so he's got some lungs on him and isn't afraid of getting stuck into a challenge either.

Q - CB doesn't have that much first team experience - but he seems highly regarded at Liverpool. Do you expect him to do well?

I think so, yes. He was already a full Northern Ireland international before he even made the step up at Liverpool. Their faith in his talent was evidenced by the club being willing to sell Neco Williams to give Bradley opportunities. They came too despite Williams staying put, in the domestic cup games and got a brief cameo at the San Siro in the Champions League. However, as Jurgen Klopp's side hunted down an unprecedented quadruple, with so much at stake the minutes weren't on offer for the youngsters in the final months of the season. U23s football had become far too easy for him by the end of last season though and he was really ready for that next step up.

I guess we'll see if L1 is that right next level. Liverpool's academy has produced some great full-backs in recent years with Trent Alexander-Arnold the most famous example. With Liverpool wanting their full-backs to play a specific way, Bolton fans should soon notice some similarities to how the England international plays if Bradley gets a run in the team. It is a step up but one he's ready for.

Q - Has the recent signing of Calvin Ramsay pushed him down the pecking order slightly?

Probably, a little, yes. As I said, the club were willing to let Williams leave last summer and put their faith in Bradley as back-up. The reality was Joe Gomez and James Milner were turned to ahead of him in that position though. Williams looks set to move on this summer with Ramsay poised to be the understudy to Alexander-Arnold. But as Williams found out, it is very hard to get game-time with the best right-back in the world ahead of you in the pecking order.

Liverpool will want Bradley to go out and play and that wasn't going to happen this season at Anfield. He's shone in PL2 and is ready for that next step. Having had a year on the fringes of the first team, it's right for him to go out on loan and progress as much as possible with the club then reassess his situation along with Ramsay's next summer. The offer from Bolton was a tempting one, especially with them being so close geographically, with Harvey Elliott's temporary switch to Blackburn two seasons ago an ideal template.

Liverpool will stay in communication with Bradley and keep a close eye on him. It'll take a very special player to take Alexander-Arnold's place in the Liverpool starting XI anytime soon so it's no slant on Bradley that he is being sent out on loan.

Q - It seemed to be a real breakthrough season for Bradley but at 18 do you expect him to handle the added physicality of League One?

Time will tell on that front but he's had as good a grounding as you can get in training under Jurgen Klopp, learning from the likes of Alexander-Arnold while testing himself against Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz etc. He wasn't afraid of getting stuck in and has experience against Premier League and Football League opposition as well as on the international stage.

League One will be an eye-opening experience for him but Bolton have a player in fellow Northern Ireland international Dion Charles who can take him under his wing and make sure he knows what to expect. Bradley will rise to the challenge and can hopefully make his loan to Bolton a successful one.

The Bolton News: