BT Sport pundit ‘felt sorry’ for Patrick Bamford in Leeds United v Wolves
Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford suffered yet another injury setback in the Whites’ 3-2 victory away at Wolves last week at Molineux.
The England international was visibly upset by having to come off early into the first half of the game to be replaced by Sam Greenwood.
Former Leeds player Tony Dorigo admitted in his Yorkshire Evening Post column that he felt sorry for the 28-year-old who has been plagued by injuries all season long.
“As he trudged off in agony, the first thing I thought was just for him; I feel for the player himself,” the BT Sport pundit said.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that the worst thing a player can have is an injury; you feel like a spare part, useless and no good to anyone because you’re not fit to get out and help the boys, help your club.
“Bamford has had to sit on the sidelines for such a big part of what has turned out to be a difficult season.
“He scored all those goals in the first season back in the Premier League so he was hugely important and everyone was delighted to see him back in the starting line-up for Wolves. And he looked sharp against Norwich.
“But I could tell he wasn’t moving right; he was limping and so the ball over the top was never going to end well. I saw flashes of his face on the bench and it said it all. I really felt sorry for him.”
Gelhardt’s chance
For any striker at Leeds United since their Premier League return, Bamford has been the annoyingly brilliant roadblock to playing a good number of games.
Players like Joe Gelhardt have had to show incredible patience behind the England international and now is his chance to shine.
In his limited game time so far in the white of Leeds, Gelhardt has already scored a 96th-minute winner against Norwich and also bagged a true striker goal away at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
His performances for the Whites have been deserving of more starts but both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch preferred to play wingers such as Dan James or Rodrigo through the middle.
If Bamford is out for an extended period, it would be nice to see the teenager get a good run in the side to see how often he can turn up and perform in the cauldron of the Premier League.
In other Leeds United news, the club may put an offer on the table for this central midfielder who is a “joy to watch”.