We do this thing as Liverpool fans where we reach for the biggest reference point we’ve got and try to make it fit. With Conor Bradley’s injuries, you can hear the Steven Gerrard comparison creeping in again. And honestly, it doesn’t really hold up.
Gerrard did have knocks early on, no doubt. But the key point is availability. Once he was through that initial breaking-in period, he was pretty much ever-present in the league year after year. There were seasons where he dipped just under 30 league appearances, but it wasn’t a recurring story of stop-start momentum. He played. A lot.
Availability is the real separator
With Bradley, it feels like every time he gets a run, gets the crowd onside, gets his rhythm, something pulls him up again. That’s the part that bites. Not because anyone doubts his talent, but because you can’t develop properly when your body won’t let you stack weeks on top of weeks.
It must be maddening for him, too. Full-back is one of those roles where you need repetition: timing your press, recovering into shape, picking when to overlap, knowing when to tuck in. All of that gets sharper through minutes, not just training-ground work.
Love the lad, but Liverpool can’t gamble
I’m with anyone who says they “love Bradley”. He’s got that edge to him, plays on the front foot, and doesn’t look scared of the level. He’s raw, but that’s fine if the pathway is managed properly.
What can’t happen is Liverpool getting caught short because we’ve convinced ourselves it’ll all just click injury-wise. If there’s a chance to promote another youngster or bring in competition, Bradley can’t really argue. That isn’t blocking his path, it’s protecting the team and protecting him from being rushed back when we’re desperate.
Even within the squad, you’d rather have a proper option than shoving someone like Szoboszlai into an emergency role. It’s not fair on him and it blunts what he’s actually good at.
He’s 22 now, not a kid forever
This is the other uncomfortable truth: Bradley isn’t a 17-year-old learning the basics. He’s 22. That’s still young in football terms, but it’s also the age where careers start to move. Gerrard was already becoming a leader around then, and while it’s never fair to compare anyone to Stevie, it does underline what a “normal” development curve can look like for an elite talent.
So yes, back Bradley. Be patient with the rough edges. But let’s not rewrite history to make the Gerrard injury story match. Bradley’s challenge has been more persistent, and that means Liverpool have to plan like a top club: with options, with cover, and with a clear route back for him to fulfil the potential that’s obviously there.
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