Patrick Bamford could have said he wants to leave Leeds United – Phil Hay
Phil Hay believes that Patrick Bamford could have “easily” left Leeds United after how the Premier League season finished.
During a draw with Newcastle United towards the end of the season, he missed a crucial penalty as Leeds were exiled from the top tier of English football.
As revealed by the striker himself on the My Mate’s a Footballer podcast (8 February), Bamford was forced to have security at his home as angry Leeds fans visited him after missing the chance.
Speaking via The Square Ball podcast on Monday (12 February), Hay said: “Now that he is fit and is able to get through games, he’s making a difference and has become an asset.
“What went on at the end of last season, you could have easily seen that developing into a situation where Bamford says he feels like he needs to leave.
“I think Leeds fans will be pretty happy he didn’t because he is proving to be an asset again. If they do go up, he’ll have played a part in that.”
Patrick Bamford revitalised at Leeds United
The Leeds forward has hit a purple patch for the first time under Daniel Farke, continuing to shine since being given an opportunity in the New Year. He now has seven goal contributions across all competitions this season.
The 30-year-old experienced a tough start to the campaign, with Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter preferred to him in attack, and missing several chances as a substitute.
But after notching his first goal of the season on New Year’s Day against Birmingham City, Bamford was in full flow as he scored an outrageous attempt against Peterborough United in the FA Cup, which has spurred him on.
Despite his upturn in form, the Leeds attacker has deserved far more respect than he received in the early parts of the season.
It would be entirely justifiable if Bamford left Elland Road after the altercation with the fans, but to stick around and earn their respect back shows him to be the bigger man.
Having earned promotion to the Premier League with his beloved Leeds once already, alongside the likes of Stuart Dallas, Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper, you can see how much he wants to achieve that high again.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites could have moved fast to sign a West Ham defender with just a few negotiation points left to iron out.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.