Northern Ireland media agrees on 'class act' Conor Bradley after 'surreal' night for Liverpool star

Conor Bradley has done his growing reputation absolutely no harm during the international break, with the Liverpool defender capping things off in style with Northern Ireland .

Having been made captain of his country for the first time on Saturday, Bradley once again donned the armband as Michael O’Neill’s side thrashed Bulgaria 5-0 at Windsor Park.

Isaac Price’s hat-trick helped boost Northern Ireland’s hopes of promotion from League C in the Nations League – they sit top of their group with just two games remaining against Belarus and Luxembourg next month.

• 8 players could miss Liverpool vs Chelsea as Arne Slot faces nervous wait
• Giorgi Mamardashvili sends 'leave the team' warning to Alisson for Liverpool spot

Despite having to be patient for his game time under Arne Slot at Liverpool this season, Bradley continues to make a name for himself after enjoying a breakthrough year at Anfield.

Captaining his country at the age of just 21 is yet more evidence of the esteem with which he is held at both club and national level, and there were yet more positive reviews for the right-back after his display against Bulgaria.

Awarding him a 7/10 in their player ratings, BelfastLive commented: “Led by example again and unlucky not to get a goal.”

The Belfast Telegraph also gave Bradley a 7/10, remarking: “Proud captain once again, the Liverpool man is a joy to watch when he’s bursting forward with pace. Quiet game by his own high standards but still a class act.”

Bradley will now return to Merseyside ahead of Liverpool’s return to Premier League action against Chelsea on Sunday. With just under four weeks to go until the next international break though, the defender is hoping he will get the chance to captain his country again soon.

“I’ve loved the experience,” Bradley said after win over Bulgaria. “It’s been one of the biggest honors of my life to captain my country.

“It’s a privilege. It felt really special walking out as captain. It was very surreal. Sometimes I’d just look at my arm and see the armband and it didn’t feel real. I’m just really happy, I’m really happy for the boys. It was a special night.

“I’ve loved it and obviously I’ll leave it down to Michael to see who he sees fit to be the captain long term.”

Liverpool.com says: It's great to see Bradley getting the chance to captain his country for the first time at home, and what a way to mark the occasion. Even at such a young age, given what he's shown over the past 12 months, it's richly deserved, and he may have even just earmarked himself as a future Liverpool captain.