Why Liverpool's Conor Bradley found the right club in Bolton Wanderers

Sadly, though the young defender has clearly had the time of his life at Bolton, his football career is destined to be played out at the very highest level back at Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp has not ruled out sending Bradley back out on loan next year, and Ian Evatt is certain to be at the front of the queue, but deep down the Wanderers faithful will know that Premier League football beckons for the Northern Irishman sooner than their club could possibly offer it.

Goalkeeper James Trafford – who has enjoyed similar success on loan from Manchester City – will be a hard act to follow for the next man to pick up the gloves. But finding a player with Bradley’s blueprint could prove even tougher.

The wing-backs have become hugely important in Evatt’s formation and while there has been a large amount of chopping and changing on the left, Bradley’s astonishing energy and consistency has made his one of the few positions that never gave the manager a moment’s concern.

They say never to fall in love with a loan player – yet Bolton fans had managed to do so with Bradley’s two predecessors in an area of the pitch that has never failed to produce drama.

Evatt’s first season began with Gethin Jones playing on the right, something which continued until an ankle injury in the club’s first win that season, against Harrogate Town.

Former Coventry trainee Jak Hickman then temporarily filled the void before Wanderers moved to bring in Peter Kioso on loan from Luton Town.

Pacy, direct and especially useful in the air, Kioso made a swift impression and scored in only his second start, a crazy 3-3 draw with Evatt’s former club Barrow.

On the face of it, extending the loan to the end of the season looked a certainty. But what we did not know was that the 21-year-old had been struggling living away from his family in the middle of the pandemic and wanted to return home.

Kioso had been holed up in the Bolton Whites Hotel – the business itself unable to welcome guests but operating on a skeletal basis for a small number of club staff.

Luton’s then-manager Nathan Jones had discussed recalling him on a few occasions, with most assuming it was for footballing reasons. His final appearance was also in Cumbria, against Carlisle United, and also saw him score in a 3-3 draw before being sent off.

Evatt opted to use Jones again at right-back for the remainder of the campaign, although homegrown defender Harry Brockbank also got some game time as Bolton’s form improved rapidly in the New Year and they went on to clinch the third promotion spot in League Two.

Wanderers knew what they wanted from a right wing-back and Jones had as firm a tactical grip on the style of football Evatt wanted to play as anyone in the squad. He continued as first choice as the club returned to League One but a broken leg, coupled with his mother’s diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease, ensured an absence of around four months, during which the Whites’ form floundered badly.

Lloyd Isgrove looked like a suitable solution until he picked up the first of two bad hamstring tears and Brockbank suffered for confidence after a heavy home defeat against Wigan Athletic, failing to recover his place in the side.

The right wing-back berth appeared a cursed one and at the height of Wanderers’ injury issues, Adam Senior was called back from a loan in non-league football to cover at Accrington.

It was little wonder that Marlon Fossey’s arrival was greeted with such celebration, albeit he was part of an embarrassing exit in the Papa Johns Trophy final at Hartlepool United on his debut.

The American had plenty of X Factor – a bouffant hairstyle, an interesting backstory, and also a desire to prove himself away from parent club Fulham. Like Kioso, he quickly won over the supporters and helped Evatt’s side stabilise and push into the top 10 with a late flurry of wins.

Fossey’s injury record was the one area of legitimate concern for Bolton and though he strung 16 impressive starts together an awkward challenge against Plymouth in March ended his campaign early.

Once again, supporters expected his return. The knee problem was not nearly as serious as those which had wrecked his early career at Craven Cottage and his popularity would have made it a safe PR move, if nothing else. Behind the scenes, however, Evatt and Markham had already started making other plans, with Fossey viewed more as a back-up.

They had approached Liverpool to loan Bradley before Fossey but been told that Jurgen Klopp wanted to keep him in his own squad for the time being. He had been the first Northern Irish player to feature for the club since 1954 and despite giving away a penalty on his debut against Norwich, Klopp had praised him to the hilt.

“He did really well,” said the German coach. “He is a cheeky boy, so go in there, don’t just play safe passes. He played a super game.”

By early summer there had been a change of heart. The Reds’ former sporting director, Michael Edwards, checked on the facilities and training methods at Lostock and laid the groundwork for a deal.

Wanderers had stayed in contact with Fossey’s representatives but were not looking at him as a first-choice option. The player – who had felt restless in Fulham’s Under-23s – wanted regular games and after politely passing on a Bolton return, courted a couple of offers in the Championship before finally sealing a move to Belgian top-flight side Standard Liege.

“Did we want to sign Marlon, well, yes,” Evatt told The Bolton News in July. “But we knew there were risks attached. Conor was our priority in January and it speaks volumes of where this club is at now that Liverpool are ready to trust us and let him come and work here.”

Bradley’s pedigree ensured a warm welcome at Wanderers, and signs of promise were evident, even in early pre-season games.

At 19, the youngster from Tyrone was making his first move away from the Anfield academy bubble, and every precaution was taken to ensure it would be a smooth transition. Wanderers even loaned his close pal, left-back Owen Beck, to make sure he felt comfortable.

Vice-captain Jones, now embedded in the centre of defence, has been a big influence, and the pair have combined well on the pitch, with the right flank accounting for 40 per cent of Bolton’s attacking moves, compared with 35 on the left and just 25 down the middle.

Given plenty of licence to roam forward, Bradley’s success has exceeded the most optimistic predictions. Amassing nearly 60 games for club and country so far, his only absences from the team have been down to suspensions.

Any concern that the teenager’s wiry frame may be unsuited to the often-physical nature of League One were set aside early on, and a dozen yellow cards suggest he has given just as good as he got.

By Evatt’s own admission, Wanderers would need to be playing Championship football next season to stand a chance of bringing him back and while there will be a few tears when he waves goodbye – how rewarding it would be to see him head back to Anfield after a play-off final.