Bolton Wanderers Eye Liverpool Starlet Kieran Morrison After Northern Ireland Breakthrough

Championship new boys Bolton are looking to help launch the senior career of Liverpool’s new Northern Ireland international, Kieran Morrison, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

The 19-year-old winger won his first senior cap for Michael O’Neill’s side in a 1-0 friendly win over Guinea in Gibraltar.

He is regarded as one of Liverpool’s hottest properties, having been handed a first-team bow last season by recently sacked Premier League title-winning manager, Arne Slot, who has already been linked with his next job with Celtic. 

However, before the change of head coach that has seen Bournemouth chief Andoni Iraola take over from Slot, Morrison looked set to spend next season out on loan.

And SkyBet League One play-off final winners Bolton are looking at offering him a chance of regular first-team game time.

Wanderers’ second-tier rivals, Wolves and Burnley, are also understood to be courting Morrison’s services, while German Bundesliga outfit, Schalke, has been scouting his progress.

Middlesbrough, too, will show interest this summer after successfully helping Bournemouth’s ex Liverpool prospect, Ben Gannon-Dokes, break through in 2024-2025 under Michael Carrick.

DOUBLE ADVANTAGE

But the Trotters, managed by Liverpudlian, albeit ex-Everton midfielder, Steven Schumacher, have two advantages over their rivals.

Then managed by Ian Evatt, Bolton loaned full-back Conor Bradley from Liverpool for the 2022-2023 campaign.

Like Morrison, a Northern Ireland international, Bradley scooped the club’s player of the season accolade and helped Bolton win the EFL Trophy against Plymouth at Wembley.

Having returned to Liverpool, Bradley then contributed as Slot’s side won the Premier League and Carabao Cup.

Morrison, who recently signed a new four-year contract with the Merseysiders, has also been on Bolton’s books before, albeit at the start of his fledgling career. He then went to Manchester United before going to Anfield as a 14-year-old.

And in a recent interview for the club, when asked about the future, he responded: “If they want me to go on loan, I'll go on loan. Just push on.”