Arne Slot handed Liverpool blueprint as Trent Alexander-Arnold solution clear

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill heaped praise on Conor Bradley after the Liverpool defender fired a brace in a 2-0 win against Andorra on Tuesday night.

The 20-year-old netted twice in the space of six first-half minutes at Spain's Estadio Enrique Roca de Murcia as the Green and Whites bounced back from Saturday's 5-1 defeat to Spain.

The Liverpool defender played 76 minutes for Northern Ireland in a more advanced, right-sided role and caught the eye of his manager O'Neill.

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"We're trying to create a bit of depth in the squad and that is what we are trying to achieve," said the 54-year-old Northern Ireland manager. "Conor was terrific in the game. He's very comfortable when he goes into those midfield areas. He can play anywhere on the right-hand side and play in midfield. He has that desire and athleticism to get into the box and it was two very good finishes."

Bradley's positional tweak came just days after Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a Man of the Match performance in central midfield against Bosnia and Herzegovina as England ran out 3-0 winners at St James' Park last Monday.

The Reds' No.66, who has been utilised in a hybrid role over the last 12 months at Anfield, is reportedly set to start the Three Lions' Euro 2024 opener against Serbia alongside Declan Rice in midfield.

But despite using Alexander-Arnold sparingly since he made his England debut in 2018, Gareth Southgate last week heaped praise on the Liverpool vice-captain and insisted he is now ready to thrive for the Three Lions.

"Firstly, he is enjoying playing in an England shirt. He has had a difficult international career in that because of the strength in depth in the area, we haven't always been able to give him the amount of football that his talent deserves," said Southgate.

“But we have always been trying to find a way to do that and I think he knows that and he appreciates that so it was lovely to see him score, have that moment and play with that confidence for England.

“We were very pleased, it is a role he is discovering and he is hungry to learn and has been since I talked to him about playing it a year or so ago and equally what we saw in the last half an hour is also an important option for us as well.

“We are going to have different challenges in this tournament and we are going to have to have different ways of solving problems that teams pose us.”

For the Reds' new head coach Arne Slot, such performances on the international stage open the possibility of the Dutchman finding room for Bradley and Alexander-Arnold in his starting XI when he takes over the reins at Anfield.