Liverpool FC's Conor Bradley 'did things no other child could'

Rory Lynch will never forget the first time he saw Liverpool FC's new star Conor Bradley play.

The 20-year-old is the first Northern Ireland-born player in 70 years to make an assist for Liverpool in England's top flight and boss Jurgen Klopp called him a"such a good footballer".

But his talents were noticed more than a decade ago, back home in Aghyaran.

"His football brain set him out - he was doing things no one else could," his first coach told BBC News NI.

"And he knew the importance of hard work," added Mr Lynch, from St Patrick's FC.

On Sunday, the full back set up Liverpool's third goal in a 4-0 win over Bournemouth.

The Irish Football Association said that makes him the first male player from Northern Ireland to provide an assist for the club since Sammy Smyth back in 1954.

Bradley's journey to the Premier League started a world away from the bright lights of English football's top flight, in Aghyaran - a hamlet in west County Tyrone.

It is about six miles from the town of Castlederg and 30 miles from Northern Ireland's second city, Londonderry.

His stock has risen quickly in the 10 years since his home club's coaches first marvelled at his talent, working through the youth ranks at the Merseyside giants before excelling during a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers.

He has since become a regular in the senior Northern Ireland squad.

However, Bradley's former football coach has been unsurprised by his success.

Mr Lynch said he "was always going to be different".

"I had been involved in youth football for a long, long time, seen a lot of good players but Conor was something different even at eight or nine. He was a totally different character."

Aghyaran's rural homes and working farms are spread across of few miles of countryside. A church and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club are at the heart of community life.

Ask people there about Liverpool's newest star and they speak a common language.

This is a young man as talented as he is modest, as committed to fulfilling his potential as he is humble.

"Everyone at the club is so very, very proud of him," Tommy Moss, of St Davogs GAA club, said.

As a teenager, the Liverpool star would often turn out for the club.

"He is part of our club, we know he still looks out for our results," added Mr Moss.

"He is really down to earth, a lovely fella, none of this will go to his head. That attitude is why he has made it."

Dixie Robinson is head of youth development at Dungannon Swifts where Conor spent a few years before signing for the Merseyside giants.

He told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme Bradley first came on the club's radar aged about 10 or 11.

"He came and played a couple of friendly games for us, but lo and behold, he didn't sign for us then - he came back at under-14," Mr Robinson recalled.

"I had always kept in touch with his mum Linda, who has to take a tremendous amount of credit. She kept Conor level-headed and humble at all times," he said.

Young Bradley, Dixie said, combined athleticism with hard work and had "tactical knowhow beyond his years".

"Obviously he had a lot of talent to go with that, every time you stepped him up, he answered the call. He was a gift from God and a fantastic young man," he said.

In a statement, St Patrick's Primary School in Castlederg said the Northern Ireland international "was a very gifted pupil across all subjects and he excelled at sports from a very young age".

"His P1 teacher sent for the principal (both trained PE teachers) to marvel at his ball control in P1 with a sponge ball.

"His P1 report reads he is a great pupil and a delight to have in the classroom."

Bradley spent nine years there, including nursery school, before finishing primary seven in 2015 - the same year he became Northern Ireland's primary school cross country running champion.

"There is a strong sporting ethos at the school and it is great for our school community to see Conor's many achievements," the school added.

Those achievements included representing the school's senior teams in Gaelic football, football, hurling, athletics and cross country running - all at the age of nine.

"What marked him out from teaching/coaching perspective was his temperament and his ability to include everyone at play," the school statement added.

"He was a great friend and even though he joined Liverpool at a young age and represented Northern Ireland at youth level, it never affected him."

The school added: "The support he received from his family is incredible and it was impressive that Liverpool FC let him continue to play Gaelic with his local club St Davog's Aghyaran at youth level.

"Everyone in the school community is delighted at his progress and we wish him every success."