"Buzzing to be back" - Conor Bradley discusses injury return after new contract

Conor Bradley has said that he's "buzzing to be back" after a "long couple of months" as he returned from injury to feature against LASK in the Europa League last Thursday.

The young right-back came on against the Austrian side with Liverpool already three goals to the good and showed glimpses of his quality during his brief cameo.

There was more good news on Friday evening for the 13-cap Northern Ireland international as he signed a new long-term deal with the Reds.

Having impressed on loan at Bolton Wanderers last season, even winning the Player of the Season award at the club, Bradley was expected to feature readily in the cup competitions during the opening weeks of the season.

However, his development has been curtailed by a stress fracture in his back, from which he has only just recovered after several months on the sidelines.

Speaking about his return to the pitch, Bradley told Liverpool's official website: "Buzzing to be back. It's been frustrating and a long couple of months out injured, so buzzing to be back.

"I just want to help the team as much as I can and I just need to try to stay available as much as I can. There's loads of games coming up, so hopefully there'll be plenty of chances for me."

Speaking about the nature of his injury, he added: "I just had a sore back. I did a running session in the morning, came in [with] a sore back, got a scan and had a stress fracture in my back.

"I knew then it would be 12 weeks or so out injured, so it was a hard one to take. But thankfully I'm back now and happy.

"I was really enjoying pre-season, I thought I was doing quite well as well. It was a difficult time when it came but I've worked hard, got myself back and I'm buzzing to be back."

Bradley could certainly be a useful player for Liverpool amid the hectic winter schedule, although whether Klopp trusts him to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold in Premier League matches remains to be seen.

However, the 20-year-old has shown promising signs when asked to step into the first team setup, especially in pre-season, and his return from injury will be welcomed by Klopp.