Jürgen Klopp has confirmed Conor Bradley will be a part of Liverpool's pre-season plans after the full-back's impressive loan spell with Bolton Wanderers during 2022-23.

The 19-year-old has made 49 appearances for the League One club so far this term after joining them on a temporary basis last June.

One of those runouts saw Bradley help Bolton to silverware as they defeated Plymouth Argyle 4-0 in the Papa Johns Trophy final at Wembley earlier this month.

Asked about his plans for the defender this summer, Klopp told his pre-West Ham United press conference: “We are in constant contact. Pep Lijnders created a group with our on-loan players – a WhatsApp group – and we are watching really closely what he is doing. It is great, obviously.

“I am not sure if he will become Player of the Season there but for sure he is a contender for that, which is absolutely great. We knew what we had in our hands when he was there, but for young boys there must be an opportunity to make the next step with playing and that was now a typical win-win situation: it was good for us, good for him and good for the club and I liked it a lot.

“Our plans are bring him back, go in the pre-season and then enjoy the steps he made, then we will decide together what we are doing from that moment on. The plans are in the moment, bring him back and keep him, but we will see that.”

Bradley is already a full international with Northern Ireland and has 12 senior caps to his name, having made his debut in May 2021.

Klopp acknowledged another loan move could be possible next term for the youngster, but only after he’s been assessed during Liverpool’s pre-season.

The manager continued: “I think it’s a confidence boost when you are invited and playing for your country, of course that is great but it is not that often it happens. I think it gives you a better feeling about yourself if you get picked for your country. I never had that situation so I cannot exactly tell you how it feels, but I am pretty sure it is very special and it is a super-positive moment for him.

“Everybody speaks positively about him. I think one-and-a-half years ago only a few football nerds would have known about him and now everybody knows him. That’s cool and that’s the first step.

“He is our boy, which I like a lot. A super mentality, which is extremely helpful, and all the rest will come – and we are all pretty sure about that. So, that’s it.

“Conor will be our player, but how it is in that age group, we have to see if it makes more sense for him going on loan after pre-season or not. We will decide that then and not now.”