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Pep Lijnders says Conor Bradley can ‘come to Salzburg immediately’ as the outgoing Liverpool assistant manager prepares to take charge in Austria.
The Dutchman is ending a long spell at Anfield by taking charge of the Austrian Bundesliga side this summer.
The 41-year-old was a development coach at Liverpool from 2014-18, and after a short spell in charge of NEC, returned as assistant later in 2018 until the end of this season.
Lijnders helped bring a number of youngsters through the ranks and into the first team, with the 20-year-old right-back standing out as someone he would love to take with him to Salzburg, although Reds chief Michael Edwards may not allow it.
‘I believed really in Conor Bradley, and Jarell [Quansah] and Caoimhin Kelleher, and Harvey Elliot, and Curtis [Jones],’ Lijnders told The Redmen TV.
‘But Conor, what is he doing here? Conor Bradley? What did he do? We have a new right defender, you don’t need to buy anyone. He can come to Salzburg immediately, by the way.
‘I have a lot but I don’t have money. I have money but now you have Michael Edwards in charge!’
It was confirmed that Lijnders will take over at RB Salzburg earlier this month and he thanked Liverpool for preparing him for management.
‘At Liverpool, they asked me back after NEC – and I would never have done it if I had only been asked back as No 2 on the staff,’ he said.
‘Over the past six years, I have been given a lot of responsibility. Jurgen made me do press conferences, match discussions. Everything he does himself. He always says “we do this job together” – and that’s really how it is. I know I’m well prepared.
‘Trent [Alexander-Arnold] was my captain in the Under-16s team when I started in 2014.
‘Trent was a boy with dreams – now he is a guy who has brought a whole new dimension to the position of right-back in top-flight football. I have seen good players come in who became world stars. Mo Salah for example. It’s emotional what all is happening this week.’
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