£123m Bradley Barcola breaks rare Premier League record just 30 minutes into Liverpool debut vs Ipswich

Bradley Barcola had barely been on the pitch for half an hour when he gave Liverpool fans a glimpse of the weapon they have just spent up to £123 million to bring to Anfield.The France international came off the bench in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Ipswich on Friday night, replacing fellow summer signing Víctor Muñoz, and needed only 31 minutes to make an immediate impression.For a player who arrived without a full pre-season and had not played a competitive minute since the World Cup, it was quite an introduction.Barcola set a new Premier League speed recordBarcola's pace was the obvious feature of his debut.The 24-year-old reached a top speed of 35.9km/h, the fastest recorded by any Premier League player so far this season.His burst sent him straight to the top of the speed rankings, ahead of players including Pedro Neto, Kristoffer Ajer and Rayan.It was a remarkable early statement from a player who had only recently returned to training and was still being carefully managed by Liverpool's coaching staff.Barcola also showed exactly how dangerous he can be when he has space to attack.One of his most eye-catching moments came on the counter-attack, when he accelerated into the open field before setting up Cody Gakpo, who sent his effort over the bar.His ability to carry the ball at speed immediately gave Liverpool another dimension, and his record-breaking sprint underlined just how explosive the new Liverpool forward can be.Barcola joined Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain on August 31 after a lengthy pursuit and only recently began training with his new teammates.That meant his appearance at Portman Road was always expected to be a controlled introduction rather than a full debut from the start.He still managed to make his presence felt.The performance also offered a reminder of why PSG were reluctant to lose him, even after Barcola made it clear that he wanted a move in search of a bigger role.He had made 152 appearances for PSG, scoring 39 goals and providing 35 assists, while last season alone brought 13 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances.He also leaves Paris with back-to-back Champions League titles and three consecutive Ligue 1 championships.Now Liverpool are hoping that the next stage of his career brings even more.Iraola urges patience after promising first outingBarcola's debut was encouraging enough for Liverpool's coaching staff, but there is no intention of rushing him.He had not played any pre-season minutes and had only recently returned to training, making the 31-minute appearance as much about rebuilding his fitness as making an immediate impact.“I think Bradley hadn’t played a single minute since the World Cup so we needed to be careful,” Iraola said.“I think he is training well, in a good place, and I think that he has helped us.”The manager was particularly impressed by the threat Barcola offered whenever he received the ball.“When he carries the ball, I think you can feel this threat and I’m happy because I think 30 minutes is going to be good for his fitness, for his build-up, and we will continue because now we play a lot of games, so he will have a chance to play more.”There were also moments when Liverpool could have made even more of his movement.“I think we haven’t found him in a couple of situations where I think he was going against the ‘keeper, but we haven’t really seen his movements,” Iraola added.He also highlighted the counter-attack that ended with Gakpo's missed chance, describing Barcola's passing and transition play as “very good”.The message, though, was clear: Liverpool have no need to force the issue.“I think it’s normal, he hasn’t played any pre-season minutes,” Iraola said. “I think he’s still in a good place.”He added that Barcola would not require an especially long build-up, but warned that the demands of competitive matches are very different from training.For now, the plan is to increase his minutes gradually.That could begin with a bigger role when Liverpool face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield on Wednesday, with Barcola hoping his 31-minute introduction at Ipswich has done enough to earn him more time on the pitch.If Friday night was any indication, Liverpool have added something rather difficult to defend against.They have added someone who can simply run away from you.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.