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Jamie Carragher believes Conor Bradley should be the starting right-back for Liverpool over Trent Alexander-Arnold until the summer.

Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score the winning goal in a 1-0 win against Leicester that's pushed the Reds ever closer to the title.

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Alexander-Arnold scored a vital winner for Liverpool on SundayCredit: Getty

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But Carragher doesn't want him to start for Liverpool for the rest of the seasonCredit: Getty

The defender returned after suffering an ankle injury last month and amid ongoing speculation over his future at the club.

talkSPORT understands Alexander-Arnold has agreed to join Real Madrid upon the expiration of his Liverpool contract in June.

A departure will mark the end of a 21-year stay and glittering career at his boyhood club, for whom he has been the chosen right-back.

But Liverpool legend Carragher believes Bradley should replace him for the rest of the season to prepare for the future.

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"You can't replace him, because what he is..." he explained during his post-match punditry on Sky Sports.

"The reason we talk about him so much, I think why he's the most talked about full-back we've probably ever seen in the Premier League, is because he's unique, he's different.

"You've [Micah Richards] just mentioned about him defensively, now, most top full-backs don't get it thrown at them that they're not very good defensively.

Conor Bradley shouldn't look at Trent and think, 'I want to be like him.'

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Carragher wants Bradley to start as preparation for life without Alexander-ArnoldCredit: Sky Sports Premier League YouTube

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The 21-year-old already has plenty of first-team experience under his beltCredit: Getty

"He's got to be like Andy Robertson was when he was in his prime, a proper full-back, up and down, aggressive at the winger, maybe overlapping, getting crosses in, underlapping is what the Liverpool full-backs like to do.

"So you're not going to be able to replace him, so forget that, but the big decision Liverpool have, or a couple of decisions between now and the end of the season, and the summer is...

"If Trent hasn't committed, which he hasn't obviously, to the manager for next season, he shouldn't be starting games.

Liverpool are not here as a football club to give someone a send-off."

"Yeah, but, I mean, you win the league for so long, he's been a vital part of that," Richards then interjected.

It's not about, 'Let's give Trent a send-off.'

"It's about, 'Okay, we need to assess whether Conor Bradley is the guy for us next season playing week in, week out.'

'The simple thing' - McManaman gives Alexander-Arnold one piece of advice ahead of Real Madrid move

"Because the decision Liverpool will have in terms of Trent moving on is, 'Does Conor Bradley become our first-choice right-back and we buy a back-up player who's maybe a utility player, who can maybe play centre-back?'

"Or, 'Are we buying a first-choice right-back and Conor Bradley's going to have to battle with him?' So that lad needs as much experience as he possibly can get.

"But in terms of starting games right now, if Trent hasn't committed to the club, which he obviously hasn't, Conor Bradley should be starting every game."

Alexander-Arnold's pending summer departure means he hasn't followed Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk in signing new deals.

However, his latest goal has all-but ensured that Liverpool will win their first Premier League title in five years.

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Liverpool are on the cusp of Premier League gloryCredit: AFP

Arne Slot's side are 13 points clear of Arsenal with five games left to play following the narrow victory at Leicester.

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They could be crowned champions on Wednesday night if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace.

Failing that, Liverpool can secure the league with a win at home to Tottenham next Sunday.
For more news relating to Spurs, visit our sister site Spurs Latest Live.