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Conor Bradley’s loan at Wanderers couldn’t have gone much better so far, and the youngster is determined to finish the season with a bang.
Bradley has been a regular starter for the Whites since the start of the campaign, impressing at both ends of the pitch.
The past few weeks have been particularly special for the 19-year-old, having represented his country before returning to England for the Papa Johns Trophy final.
“Obviously, getting men’s football week in, week out has been brilliant for me,” he told The Bolton News.
“I think I have improved everywhere really – off the pitch and on it. It has made me a better person in both ways. It has been a brilliant experience for me and I am thankful for everyone at the club.
“The last couple of weeks have been crazy! Playing for my country is always a proud moment and then being able to go to Wembley and play in front of 80,000.
“The atmosphere was just unbelievable. It has been a great few weeks but hopefully the next few can be even better – getting in the play-offs and getting back to Wembley.”
Despite his youth, Bradley has already experienced plenty of big occasions both at club level and on the international stage.
He has become a regular starter for Northern Ireland and also featured in a Champions League tie for Liverpool against Italian giants AC Milan last season.
“It just kind of comes naturally to me,” he added. “I love playing on the big stage, I love big challenges and they help me thrive to try and do well. Playing on the big stages is what you want as a football player and I have loved it.”
Given his career so far, it comes as little surprise that the wing-back rose to the occasion at Wembley on Sunday.
Bradley was delighted to help give the fans an occasion to celebrate, but he is now focused on bringing the three points back from Exeter.
“Obviously it was a massive high. It was an unbelievable feeling,” he grinned. “Even getting to Wembley was an achievement in itself, and to play there in my first season in men’s football was unbelievable. All the celebrations with the fans afterwards were a thing of dreams really.”
“We celebrated well on Sunday and then we were back in Tuesday, straight back to business. That is what the gaffer wanted.
“We have a big game on Friday so we are all focused on the league again. Hopefully we can push on, make sure we get in the play-offs and get back to Wembley.
“We know it is going to be a tough game. They are doing well at the minute. It will probably be a similar game to Plymouth, they play a similar style.”
He added: “We almost need to just forget about (the final) now. We can use the confidence from it but we just need to go again, refocus and get back to training well. Hopefully, we can play well again on Friday.”
Wanderers have had plenty of success in cup competitions over the years, and wing-back is thrilled to have written his name in the history books.
“It was an unbelievable feeling as soon as the full-time whistle went,” he said. “Even before then, seeing the flags was amazing and just things you dream of really. Just playing at Wembley was unbelievable but to get the win as well, it was special.
“I knew before I came in the summer that it was a massive club with loads of history. To stamp our names down in history by winning the trophy for the club is very special.”
Bradley enjoyed himself when Exeter came to the UniBol back in December, scoring the opener in a 2-0 victory.
The Liverpool loanee is expecting a tougher afternoon at St James Park and hopes the Whites can maintain their high standards of late.
“We know it will be tough but hopefully we can use the momentum from the cup final and bring it into the league,” the Liverpool loanee explained.
“Every game away from home is difficult. Hopefully, we can just go there, play like we did on Sunday and get the three points.”
The youngster has had plenty of joy linking up with Dion Charles this season – a partnership that also proved effective on the international stage in the recent European Championship qualifiers.
The pair also linked up effectively with Kyle Dempsey and Elias Kachunga down the right against Plymouth, and Bradley believes they are all on the same wavelength.
“Just playing with each other so much, I think we are starting to understand each other’s games,” he stated.
“We know where we want to receive the ball and how we want to play. Just playing together that much, we have built up a bit of a relationship.
“It worked a treat on Sunday. Demps was brilliant, so was Dion. And Kacha when he came over to the right, he was doing really well. It is going well down the right-hand side.”
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