Inside the rise of Conor Bradley, the ‘gift from God’ who turned down Man Utd and Chelsea to become Liverpool star

CONOR BRADLEY called his first Liverpool goal “a dream” but few back in Aghyaran will be surprised he is now living his fantasy.

For them it was only a matter of when, not if, the kid from a hamlet in Northern Ireland would make it big.

PA

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Conor Bradley after the win over Chelsea[/caption]

PA

The Northern Irish ace is known as ‘a gift from God’ back in West Tyrone[/caption]

Yet it was in this tiny place in West Tyrone, population 1,384, that Bradley became known as “a gift of God”.

Everybody who knew him knew that and Jurgen Klopp now knows it too.

From playing for Dungannon Swifts as a winger, to the organised violence of Gaelic football with St Davogs or becoming Northern Ireland’s primary school cross-country running champion all who knew him believed he would fulfil whatever dream he chose.

Swifts head of development Dixie Robinson, who signed him aged 14, revealed: “He had tactical know-how beyond his years.

“He had a lot of talent to go with that and every time you stepped him up, he answered the call.

“Conor was a gift of God and a ­fantastic young man.”

At the right-back’s primary school St Patrick’s, five miles down the road in Castlederg where he was born, they speak of him with fondness, declaring: “He’s a great friend. What marked him out was his temperament and ability to include everyone at play.”

Tommy Moss of St Davogs GAA said: “Everyone is so very proud of him because he’s really down to earth, a lovely fella, none of this will go to his head. 

“That  attitude is everything to do with why he’s made it.”

His coach at first club St Patricks marvelled after Bradley, 20,  set up two goals in the 5-2 FA Cup win over Norwich last Sunday.

And then he added another couple of assists plus that unforgettable goal in Wednesday’s 4-1 battering of Chelsea. Rory Lynch said: “His football brain always set him out — he was doing things no one else could do.”

Manchester United and Chelsea had him over for trials but he had always supported Liverpool.

By 2019 he was an Anfield academy player and in 2021  Ian Baraclough gave him his debut as a sub against Malta.

Baraclough, now No 2 at Cheltenham, said: “What Conor shows every time he plays is energy and enthusiasm.

“When a young lad like that comes into a team it gives everyone a lift.

“He is  quiet but  there’s a glint in his eye. I suspect there’s a naughty side there — but it will be funny, not nasty.”