Patrick Bamford
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Patrick James Bamford (born 5 September 1993) is an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...
for club
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
. He made one appearance for the
England national team Team England usually refers to the name under which athletes representing Commonwealth Games England compete. England team or Team England may refer to: *Commonwealth Games England *England national football team *England cricket team *England nat ...
in 2021. Bamford began his career at
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
, making his debut in December 2011, at the age of 18. A month later he joined Chelsea for a fee of £1.5 million. He was loaned out to
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football leag ...
,
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
, and
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
, winning the Championship Player of the Year for the 2014–15 season. Bamford then had further loans at Premier League clubs
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
,
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
and
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
, but saw limited playing time. After five years at the club without making a first-team appearance, Bamford left Chelsea and returned to Middlesbrough for a fee in the region of £5.5 million in January 2017. He subsequently joined Leeds United in July 2018 for a fee possibly rising to £10 million, and helped the club win the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
title during the 2019–20 season and gain promotion to the Premier League. Bamford was capped by the Republic of Ireland at under-18 level before changing allegiances to England. He has represented England from under-18 to senior level, making his senior debut in September 2021.


Early life

Bamford was born in
Grantham Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...
, Lincolnshire, and raised in the small, nearby village of Norwell, Nottinghamshire. He joined
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
's
academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
as an eight-year-old after playing junior football for Muskham Cougars. He attended the independent fee-paying
Nottingham High School Nottingham High School is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private fee-charging day school for boys and girls in Nottingham, England, with an infant and junior school (ages 4–11) and senior school (ages 11–18). There were 1177 stu ...
, where due to the lack of a school football team, he played
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
as a full-back, until the end of Year 10. Bamford ended up with five A*s, three As and two Bs in his
GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
. He studied French, History, Biology and General Studies at
A-Level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
and attained 3 Bs and a C. Bamford was offered a place at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and on the Harvard Men's Soccer team, but he rejected the offer to continue his career in England. Described by the ''
Yorkshire Evening Post The ''Yorkshire Evening Post'' (''YEP'') is a regional daily newspaper covering the City of Leeds. Founded in 1890 it is published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, National World. Despite being having coverage and being sold across West Yorkshire ...
'' in 2018 as "not your typical footballer", he plays the piano, violin, guitar and saxophone, and is conversational in French, Spanish and German. He has said that his more privileged upbringing has led him to be treated differently in a sport where most players are from the working class.


Club career


Nottingham Forest

Bamford was an unused substitute during Forest's League Cup third round tie against
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
at the
City Ground The City Ground is a association football, football stadium in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455. ...
on 21 September 2011, a 4–3 defeat after extra time. He made his Forest debut against
Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
in a 1–0 home defeat on 31 December, coming on as a substitute for
Matt Derbyshire Matthew Anthony Derbyshire (born 14 April 1986) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for club Matlock Town. He began his career with non-League side Great Harwood Town before earning himself a move to local Premier League team ...
with 12 minutes remaining. He appeared in Forest's next game on 2 January 2012, coming on again as an added-time substitute for
Andy Reid Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously the head coach of the Philadelphi ...
as Forest beat
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The club currently competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but did not turn ...
3–1 at
Portman Road Portman Road is a association football, football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town since 1884. The stadium has also hosted many England youth international matches, and one E ...
.


Chelsea

On 31 January 2012, Bamford joined Chelsea on a five-year contract for a fee of £1.5 million. On 8 February 2012, he started to train with Chelsea's first-team squad. He made his debut for the reserves in a friendly against Gillingham at Cobham, with Chelsea emerging victorious 5–4. Bamford netted his first goal in Chelsea colours, rounding off a tidy team move and also scored his second, the winner from the penalty spot. On 21 July 2015, Bamford signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea before being loaned out to
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
for the upcoming season.


Loan to Milton Keynes Dons

On 22 November 2012, he signed on loan at
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football leag ...
(MK Dons) until 7 January. He made his debut three days later against
Colchester United Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1937, the club spent its ea ...
, and ended the match with three assists. Manager
Karl Robinson Karl Joseph Robinson (born 13 September 1980) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player. He is currently head coach of club Salford City F.C., Salford City. Robinson be ...
said that he hoped Bamford would stay until the end of season. On 31 January 2013, Bamford's loan was extended until 20 May, having impressed enough before sustaining a hamstring injury. On 19 March, he netted the first goal of his professional career at
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
's
Gresty Road Gresty Road or the Alexandra Stadium, currently known as the Mornflake Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Crewe, Cheshire, England. The home ground of Crewe Alexandra, it has an all-seated capacity of 10,153. History C ...
. On 1 July, Bamford rejoined MK Dons on loan until 5 January 2014. Bamford scored 14 league goals in 23 appearances for MK Dons during this six-month period, and thus was the subject of speculation that he would be sent on loan to a club at a higher level. On 31 December, Karl Robinson confirmed that Bamford would not be returning to MK Dons after his loan deal expired. His new club was later announced as
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
. He made his last appearance for Milton Keynes on 4 January 2014, where he scored his 17th goal of the season in the closing stages of a 3–3 draw against the holders
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...
in the third round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
.


Loan to Derby County

On 3 January 2014, Derby County confirmed the signing of Bamford on a loan until the end of the season. Bamford made his debut for Derby as a substitute on 10 January, in a 4–1 away defeat to
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
. His first goal came in his next game, at home to
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
, when he opened the scoring in the 76th minute after coming on as a 59th-minute substitute for Simon Dawkins. He dedicated the goal to his godfather, former Nottingham Forest chairman Nigel Doughty. On 24 January, Bamford won the Football League Young Player of the Month award for December following his performances on loan at MK Dons. One day later, he scored his 19th goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
. Bamford continued his great form, scoring in the next two matches, against Yeovil Town on 28 January and against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
on 1 February. On 18 February, Bamford's strike earned Derby a 1–0 win at Hillsborough against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...
. However, he failed to score in the next six games for Derby, but on 25 March, he scored in a 2–1 loss against Ipswich. In the next game on 29 March against
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Their home ground is ...
, he scored the second of three goals, capitalising on an error by the captain Johnnie Jackson in the 38th minute. Bamford continued his goalscoring form as he netted his 25th of the season away from home against
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
on 8 April.


Loan to Middlesbrough

On 29 August 2014, Bamford joined
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
on loan until 1 January. Bamford made his debut as a substitute on 30 August 2014, in a 1–0 home defeat to
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
. On 20 September he scored his debut goal for ''Boro'' in his first start for the club: a 4–0 home win over
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
. Bamford replaced
Grant Leadbitter Grant Leadbitter (born 7 January 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made more than 500 appearances in the Premier League and Football League, which included 212 for Middlesbrough, 180 for Sunderland ...
for the final eight minutes of extra time in the third round of the League Cup against
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
on 23 September. In added time, he was fouled by
Kolo Touré Kolo Abib Touré (born 19 March 1981) is an Ivorian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. He most recently managed then-Championship club Wigan Athletic F.C., Wigan Athletic. Beginning his career as a ...
for a penalty which he converted himself to make the score 2–2, thus resulting in a penalty shootout. Although his penalty in the shoot-out was saved by
Simon Mignolet Simon Luc Hildebert Mignolet (born 6 March 1988) is a Belgian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Club Brugge KV, Club Brugge. Mignolet started h ...
, he scored one in sudden death, but Middlesbrough lost 14–13 on penalties. After scoring in the League Cup against Liverpool on 23 September, Bamford went through a dry period of four games without scoring. On 1 November, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win over
Rotherham United Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional association football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The team plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, after suffering relegation fr ...
. He scored again three days later against
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
in a 4–0 win for Boro. On 22 November, Bamford came off the bench in the 55th minute against
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...
, and within three minutes of coming onto the pitch, scored the goal which levelled the game, the match ending in a 1–1 draw. Bamford continued his fine scoring form, scoring Boro's only goal on 29 November to share the points with Blackburn Rovers and on 6 December in a 5–1 win at
The Den The Den (previously The New Den) is a football stadium in Bermondsey, south-east London, and the home of Millwall Football Club. The Den is adjacent to the South London railway originating at , and a quarter-of-a-mile from the Old Den, whic ...
against
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
: four goals in five games. Bamford again continued to impress during the game against league leaders Derby County on 13 December, in which he scored the opening goal within the first six minutes, and later won a penalty which was converted by Leadbitter in a 2–0 win. The result moved his team into 2nd place in the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
, level on points with
Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
. On 31 December, his loan was extended for the remainder of the season. On 24 January 2015, in the fourth round of the FA Cup, Bamford exploited an error by
Fernando Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, and former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa and Asia (like the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka). It is e ...
to open the scoring as Middlesbrough defeated reigning
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
champions
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
2–0 away. On 3 April, Bamford sent Middlesbrough to the top of the Championship table by scoring his 17th goal of the season in a 1–0 win against Wigan Athletic. On 11 April, he scored his 18th goal of the season against Rotherham United, but did miss a penalty during stoppage-time after fighting it over with fellow striker
Kike ''Kike'' (), also known as the K-word, is an ethnic slur directed at Jews. The etymological origin comes from the Yiddish word for circle, (''kaykel''), itself a derivation of the Ancient Greek word . Etymology According to the ''Oxford Eng ...
who won the penalty originally. Later on, Bamford revealed that he was the designated penalty-taker and apologised to his teammate for missing the penalty. Also that month, he was nominated at the Football League Awards for Championship Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. He won the first award, with the second going to
Dele Alli Bamidele Jermaine "Dele" Alli ( ; born 11 April 1996) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Como 1907, Como. Born and raised in Milton Keynes, he joined the youth system at ...
of Milton Keynes Dons. Bamford ended the 2014–15 season with 19 goals in total, 17 coming in the league, making him the team's top scorer for the season.


Loan to Crystal Palace

On 21 July 2015, Bamford signed on loan for Crystal Palace for the upcoming season. After a successful pre-season with Crystal Palace, which included a hat-trick against
Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...
, Bamford was an unused substitute for Palace's opening match against Norwich City on 8 August. He made his competitive debut for Palace eight days later in a 2–1 home defeat to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, replacing
James McArthur James McFarlane McArthur (born 7 October 1987) is a Scottish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Central midfielder, central midfielder. McArthur started his career at Hamilton Academical F.C., Hamil ...
for the final ten minutes. On 28 December, Bamford terminated his loan spell and returned to Chelsea after featuring as a substitute in the 0–0 draw against
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
. Bamford cited lack of first-team opportunities as the reason for his departure. It was subsequently reported that Bamford's decision had been made by himself alone, and that the two clubs involved were to hold talks over his future.


Loan to Norwich City

On 30 January 2016, after terminating his loan spell with Crystal Palace, Bamford joined Norwich City on loan until the end of the season. Bamford was given the number 11 jersey upon arrival. On 6 February 2016, Bamford made his debut for the Canaries in a 2–0 away defeat to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
, replacing
Wes Hoolahan Wesley Patrick Hoolahan (born 20 May 1982) is an Irish professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Central Midlands Alliance club Doncaster City F.C., Doncaster City. Hoolahan began his playing career ...
in the 56th minute. On 12 March 2016, he made his first Premier League start in a 0–0 draw with Manchester City, where he had the best opportunity of the game to score with a shot from 25 yards out which hit the bar.


Loan to Burnley

On 30 August 2016, Bamford joined
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on a season-long loan. Ten days later, he made his debut by replacing
Andre Gray Andre Anthony Gray (born 26 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays a striker for Fatih Karagümrük. Born in England, he represents the Jamaica national team. A product of the Shrewsbury Town youth system, Gray came to prominence ...
in the 80th minute of a 1–1 draw against
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
. After making six Premier League appearances, his loan was cut short after he was recalled by Chelsea on 14 January 2017, with Bamford citing a clash of personalities with the Burnley
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Sean Dyche Sean Mark Dyche (; born 28 June 1971) is an English professional football manager and former footballer who was most recently the manager of Premier League club Everton. During his playing career, Dyche played as a centre-back, making his pro ...
during his spell at the club.


Return to Middlesbrough

On 18 January 2017, Bamford joined Middlesbrough, then in the Premier League, on a four-and-a-half-year deal in the region of £5.5 million, reuniting him with
Aitor Karanka Aitor Karanka de la Hoz (Basque and ; born 18 September 1973) is a Spanish football manager and former player. Save for a brief spell in the United States at age 32, Karanka played solely in Spain for Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid, appearing ...
. Three days later, he made his debut off the bench in a 3–1 loss against
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
. On 8 May 2017, Bamford faced his former team, Chelsea in a 3–0 defeat at
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to: * Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England ** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 * Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge * Stamford Bridge (stadium), in ...
, resulting in the relegation of Middlesbrough. On 13 May, Bamford made his first start of the season and scored his first ever Premier League goal in a 2–1 loss against
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. After an injury to the lone striker Rudy Gestede in February 2018, during the 2017–18 season, Bamford was moved from out wide to a lone striker role under manager
Tony Pulis Anthony Richard Pulis (; born 16 January 1958) is a Welsh former professional football manager and former footballer who last managed Sheffield Wednesday. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at age 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 2 ...
, where he flourished and, on 2 March 2018, scored his first ever hat-trick against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
. In April, he was nominated for the Player of the Month award for March 2018, but lost out to
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
striker
Aleksandar Mitrović Aleksandar Mitrović ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Митровић, ; ; born 16 September 1994) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and the Serbia national team. A youth product a ...
. Bamford scored 13 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions during the 2017–18 season, to help Middlesbrough reach the Championship play-off semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Aston Villa.


Leeds United


2018–19 season

On 31 July 2018, Bamford joined Leeds United for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract. He was given the number 9 shirt for the season. The fee was believed to be £7 million (rising up to £10 million depending on bonuses), making Bamford Leeds' most expensive signing since
Robbie Fowler Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English football coach and former player. He most recently managed Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah. As a player, he was a striker, and is the ninth-highest goalscorer in the histor ...
had joined Leeds in 2001. He made his debut on 11 August in a 4–1 win at Derby County. On 14 August, Bamford made his first start for Leeds in an
EFL Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
fixture against
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
, the game also saw him score his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win. On 7 September 2018, Bamford started for the Leeds United under-23 team against
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
. He scored the first goal of the game in a 5–0 win, but hobbled off the pitch after half an hour with a suspected knee injury. The following week, Leeds announced that the striker had suffered a
posterior cruciate ligament injury The function of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is to prevent the femur from sliding off the anterior edge of the tibia and to prevent the tibia from displacing posterior to the femur. Common causes of PCL injuries are direct blows to the fle ...
and was facing four months on the sidelines. On 15 December, Bamford returned from his cruciate ligament injury as a second-half substitute against Bolton, opening the scoring for his first league goal for the club in a 1–0 win. However, he picked up another knee ligament injury in training before the following game against Aston Villa and was ruled out for several weeks. Bamford made a return from injury to first-team action on 2 February 2019, scoring in a 3–1 defeat against Norwich City. He made his first start for Leeds in the league, in Leeds' 1–1 draw against his old side Middlesbrough on 9 February 2019. He took his tally to six goals for the season (one in an EFL Cup home tie in August against Bolton), after scoring a brace in a 4–0 win against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
on 1 March. Despite following up with the game's only goal at Bristol City a week later, Bamford's form slumped during March, and included a missed penalty at Elland Road against Millwall on 30 March, but he scored both goals in a powerful display in Leeds's 2–0 win at Preston on 9 April and, in his 200th professional appearance, Leeds' only goal in their shock 1–2 defeat by 10-man Wigan 10 days later. On 30 April 2019,
the Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
handed Bamford a two-match ban after charging him with "successful deception of a match official" during the home game against Aston Villa in which Bamford feigned injury in a fracas involving
Anwar El Ghazi Anwar El Ghazi (; born 3 May 1995) is a Dutch professional association football, footballer who plays as a Winger (association football), winger or a Inside forward (association football), forward for club Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City. Club ...
. El Ghazi's red card was later rescinded by the FA and Bamford received a two-match ban for deception. Replays showed that Bamford had dived to the ground clutching his face despite no contact being made. During the 2018–19 season, Bamford played 25 games in all competitions, scoring 10 goals in an injury-hit season after Leeds finished the regular season in third place, having dropped out of the automatic promotion places with three games left following a defeat to 10-man Wigan on 19 April. Leeds qualified for the playoffs and, with Bamford out suspended,
Kemar Roofe Kemar Roofe (born 6 January 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Derby County. Born in England, he has represented the Jamaican national team. Roofe started his professional career in 2011 at West Bromwich Albion ...
started the first leg of the
Championship play-offs The English Football League (EFL) Championship play-offs are a series of play-off matches contested by the association football teams finishing from third to sixth in the EFL Championship table and are part of the English Football League play-of ...
at Pride Park on 11 May 2019, netting the sole goal of the game against sixth-placed Derby County for Roofe's 15th goal of the season. But Roofe was replaced in the starting line-up of the
Elland Road Elland Road, or Elland Road Stadium, is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the Home (sports), home of Leeds United F.C., Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the List of foot ...
return leg by a returning (from suspension) Bamford, after Roofe picked up an injury in the second half of the 1–0 win at Pride Park. However, Leeds were beaten 4–3 on aggregate over the two legs: with Roofe out injured, Leeds lost the home leg 4–2 in an encounter that saw both teams reduced to 10 men and Derby progress to the final against Aston Villa (which Villa won, joining already-promoted Norwich City and
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...
in the Premier League for the 2019–20 season). Bamford finished the season with 13 goals across 44 games for Leeds. In August 2019, Bamford was one of the main stars of the
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...
documentary ''Take Us Home'', telling the story of the 2018–19 season. He featured in several episodes, and the series was narrated by
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning actor and Leeds fan
Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor and film director. Russell Crowe filmography, His work on screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Russell Crowe, various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Gold ...
.


2019–20 season

Citing the fact that he was now "focused on being a lot more aggressive" after the summer, Bamford scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season on 4 August in Leeds' opening day 3–1 victory against Bristol City. With both goals to his name in the away tie at Wigan on 17 August and a goal at Stoke the following week, Bamford brought his tally to four league goals from five Championship games. His performances saw him one of six players nominated in September for the Championship PFA Player of the Month for August 2019; however, Bamford lost out to his teammate Ben White who won the award on 4 September. With criticism of Bamford building following the striker's three-game goal drought and Derby's 91st-minute equaliser at Elland Road on 21 September 2019, head coach
Marcelo Bielsa Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (, nicknamed ''El Loco Bielsa'' , meaning 'The Madman Bielsa'; born 21 July 1955) is an Argentine professional Association football, football manager who is the current manager of the Uruguay national football team ...
noted through his translator at the post-game press conference, that "if we want to analyse, we cannot avoid to have this talk," concerning the attacking issues of the current team. "Maybe we can be more efficient with amford and Nketiahin the team," he noted about the 1–1 result where, having dominated possession yet squandering at least 10 goalscoring opportunities to Derby's one shot on goal – by half-time, Leeds had had 71% possession – Bielsa continued that: Referring to the 79th-minute substitution of
Eddie Nketiah Edward Keddar Nketiah (born 30 May 1999) is an English professional association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace and the England national football team, Eng ...
for Bamford, Bielsa noted: "When I put Nketiah on the pitch I was thinking ftaking out Klich and that Eddie and Bamford play together – Bamford behind Eddie. Bamford
ook Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, the ...
this decision: he has to be combine and he's starting to know some players, in the case of Nketiah for example, he needs to know how he combines with ... both of them." Teammate
Kalvin Phillips Kalvin Mark Phillips (born 2 December 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Ipswich Town, on loan from Manchester City, and the England national team. An academy graduate of hometown club ...
in a separate interview after the same game, believed that "Pat's played very well today, to be honest. I think he was unlucky to be brought off but I think, you know, once Pat starts scoring, once he gets a goal or two, he'll just fly, because he's getting in them positions where one's going to go in eventually." Bamford, however, did not manage to find the net in September or October and in nearly every game during those two months was substituted, mostly by Nketiah, at various points in the second half, but his 30th-minute penalty against Blackburn on 9 November at Elland Road (in which he also provided the final ball for Jack Harrison's game-winning goal just five minutes later) broke a 10-game goal scoring drought for the centre-forward and he recorded his tenth goal of the season in Leeds's pre-Christmas 2–1 loss at Fulham. Coming on as a half-time replacement for Nketiah on 1 January 2020, in the Arsenal loanee's final game for Leeds at then-second-placed West Brom, Bamford had an immediate impact, heading home Leeds's sole goal of the game (although a deflection saw it counted as an own goal). The 1–1 result kept Leeds on top of the table on goal difference. However, with the departure of Nketiah, Bamford's profligacy in front of goal during the 0–2 home loss to Sheffield Wednesday on 11 January, and in the 1–0 loss at
Loftus Road Loftus Road, currently known as MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, West London, Greater London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers Football Club, w ...
seven days later (where he missed a penalty), brought the club's striking options into sharp focus, although by March he had found the net again: in Leeds' 2–0 win over
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
. The English professional football season was paused in March 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed three months later. Leeds' first home game following that break was on 27 June, when Bamford scored the 10th-minute opening goal in their 3–0 victory over then-fourth-placed Fulham. This scoreline restored Leeds to the top of the Championship division table. The following week, Bamford opened the scoring again as Leeds beat Blackburn 3–1. The interrupted 2019–20 season was eventually completed in late July, and Bamford finished the season with 16 goals, making him Leeds United's top scorer by a large margin. The club won the Championship title, thereby returning to the Premier League after a 16-year absence.


2020–21 season

Bamford started the first three Premier League fixtures of Leeds United's season, scoring in each game: against Liverpool (netting the second goal in a 4–3 away defeat), against Fulham, in a 4–3 home win and, with a late header at
Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramall ...
, in a 1–0 win over Sheffield United. On 2 October 2020, Bamford was nominated for
Premier League Player of the Month The Premier League Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to 1 ...
for the three goals and one assist he had in September but lost out to Everton's
Dominic Calvert-Lewin Dominic Nathaniel Calvert-Lewin (born 16 March 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Everton. Calvert-Lewin began his career at local team Sheffield United, making his senior debut on loan at Conference ...
. In Leeds' second game back after the international break, Bamford scored his first Premier League hat trick, in a 3–0 away win on 23 October over Aston Villa. He was the winner of the
Professional Footballers' Association The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. Founded in 1907, it is the world's oldest professional sports trade union, with approximately 5,000 current members each seaso ...
Fans' Bristol Street Motors Premier League Player of the Month for September and October and scored his 100th professional goal on 8 February 2021, netting Leeds' second in their 2–0 defeat of Crystal Palace. Bamford ended the season with 17 league goals (joint-fourth with
Son Heung-min Son Heung-min (; born 8 July 1992) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both club Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team. Known for his speed, finishing, two-footedness, and ability ...
, behind Bruno Fernandes,
Mohamed Salah Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly (, ; born 15 June 1992), also known as Mo Salah, is an Egyptian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a right winger or Forward (association football), forward for club Liverpool F.C., L ...
and the season's top scorer,
Harry Kane Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Bundesliga club FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich and Captain (association football), c ...
), his highest career goal return since scoring 17 goals with Middlesbrough during the 2014–15 season in the Championship, and the first player to score as many goals for a newly promoted side since Charlie Austin scored 18 goals for
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
in the 2014–15 season. Bamford played in all 38 league fixtures, starting almost every game, with Bielsa occasionally bringing on Tyler Roberts as a tactical substitute for him in the first few weeks of the season, and
Rodrigo Rodrigo () is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the la ...
proving to be a prolifically goal-scoring substitute for Bamford in the season's final fixtures.


2021–22 season

On 19 August 2021, Bamford signed a new five-year contract with Leeds. He scored his first goal of the season on 29 August with an 86th-minute equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Burnley. However, a 17 September ankle injury in a 1–1 draw at Newcastle United, a game in which
Luke Ayling Luke David Ayling (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Middlesbrough. Usually a right-back, he can also play as a centre-back. Ayling began his career at Arsenal joining the club at the ...
also suffered a knee injury, saw Bamford sidelined into November while a variety of forwards, including
Rodrigo Rodrigo () is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the la ...
,
Raphinha Raphael Dias Belloli (born 14 December 1996), known as Raphinha, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for La Liga club Barcelona and the Brazil national team. Known for his work rate, pace, finishing and c ...
and Joe Gelhardt were tried in various combinations. In his 5 December return game, where he came on as a 68th-minute substitute for Junior Firpo, Bamford netted the 95th-minute equaliser in a 2–2 home draw with
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
. Coincidentally, the Brentford tie also marked Ayling's return, and the defender provided the assist for Bamford. However, the striker injured his hip in the post-goal celebration, which ruled him out for the remainder of December's games and in January 2022 he suffered sole of the foot issues and did not play any games that month or February either. On 5 March, Bamford made his return to the bench as an unused substitute in
Jesse Marsch Jesse Alan Marsch ( ; born November 8, 1973) is an American professional association football, soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of the Canada men's national soccer team, Canada men's national team. Marsch played 14 seasons ...
's first game in charge (a 1–0 defeat at the
King Power Stadium King Power Stadium is a football stadium in the city of Leicester, East Midlands, England, and the home of Leicester City. The stadium opened in 2002 as the Walkers Stadium and has a capacity of 32,259. The club attracted worldwide attenti ...
), the striker's first time named in the squad since December, and on 10 March he came on as a 58th-minute substitute for Jack Harrison. Three days later, Bamford started his first game in almost six months — in Leeds's dramatic 2–1 win at Elland Road against
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
— before being substituted by Robin Koch in the 60th minute. However, his start in the game on 18 March at Molineux saw him in visible pain from the whistle and led to him being substituted for Sam Greenwood in the 23rd minute. In a wide-ranging interview with
BBC Radio Leeds BBC Radio Leeds is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of West Yorkshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at St Peter's Square in Leeds. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audienc ...
on 9 April 2022, following his re-injury against
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
, he spoke of the injuries he had suffered during his blighted season, specifically the Wolves game: Bamford made no further appearances for Leeds in the 2021–22 season, although he was in contention in the lineup for the crucial, final game of the season when he was stricken with a bad case of Covid.


2022–23 season

Bamford's litany of injuries continued into the new season: in his 13 August game at Southampton, he was substituted by Dan James in the first half with an adductor injury and in the eight subsequent appearances he made, he started only two of them, remaining on the pitch for just over an hour in both cases. In Leeds' 2–1 defeat away to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
on 13 January 2023, Bamford came off the bench, making an appearance for the first time since groin surgery in October, to score Leeds' only goal of the game, his 100th career goal and his first in any competition since December 2021. Handed the captain's armband when he came in as a second-half replacement for Rodrigo, Bamford scored Leeds' fourth and fifth in their 5–2 win at Elland Road over
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
in the F.A. Cup third round replay on 18 January 2023.


2023–24 season

With the arrival of Daniel Farke, Bamford found himself relegated to a substitute role in the new manager's lineup, behind preferred forwards Georginio Rutter, Daniel James, Joël Piroe and
Crysencio Summerville Crysencio Jilbert Sylverio Cirro Summerville (born 30 October 2001) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club West Ham United. Club career Feyenoord Born in Rotterdam to Afro-Surinamese parents, Summ ...
, with Bamford making just seven goalless second-half appearances in the first 14 league games, most frequently for Rutter and James. On 1 January 2024 he netted his first goal of the season in a home league tie against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
, nodding in a header from close range, following a delivery from Daniel James. On 7 January Bamford started his second consecutive match and scored his second goal of the season, in a 3–0 win against Peterborough in the FA Cup. The goal was a spectacular volley into the top corner, having initially controlled a long pass down onto his chest. It was described in the media as a "belter" and "wondergoal". Bamford incurred an end-of-season knee injury which ruled him out of contention for the Championship playoff semi-finals against
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
.


2024–25 season

Despite the transfer of Rutter and Summerville in the summer of 2024 to Premier League clubs
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
and
West Ham West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross. The area was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor of Ham, a ...
respectively, Bamford commenced another season as Farke's centre-forward selection behind Mateo Joseph and Piroe, as well as newcomer
Largie Ramazani Largie Ramazani (born 27 February 2001) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Leeds United. Club career Early career Born in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Ramazani moved to London at the age of 12, and joined ...
. Apart from appearing in the starting XI in Leeds' League Cup appearance, Bamford continued to find himself coming on as a late substitute in Championship league games through December 2024. After one appearance on New Year's Day, a hamstring injury kept him out of the first team in 2025 until three substitute appearances in April and he finished the season without a single league start, usually coming on as a late replacement for Piroe or Gnonto.


International career

Bamford played for the Republic of Ireland once at under-18 level, as he qualifies to play for Ireland under the grandparent rule. On 28 February 2012, Bamford made his first appearance for the England under-19s in a friendly against the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. He was brought on at half time and 20 minutes into the second half Chelsea teammate
Todd Kane Todd Arthur Lucien Kane (born 17 September 1993) is an English professional Association football, footballer who is currently a free agent he most recently played for National League (division), National League club Ebbsfleet United F.C., Ebbsfl ...
put a cross into the box which Bamford firmly headed into the goal, scoring his first England under-19 goal. On 17 November 2013, he was called up to the England under-21 team for the first time for a game against San Marino under-21s after a fantastic start to the season, having scored 12 goals in 20 appearances. Two days later, Bamford made his under-21s debut, coming on as a 65th-minute substitute in a 9–0 win over San Marino. Bamford was included in
Gareth Southgate Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder. A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...
's 27-man preliminary squad for the
2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship was the 20th edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, a biennial international association football, football competition for men's under-21 national teams organised by UEFA. The final tourn ...
, but was excluded from the final squad due to injury. In March and July 2018,
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
manager
Martin O'Neill Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who played as a midfielder. After a brief early career in the Irish Leag ...
revealed he and assistant manager
Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is best known for his career in the Premier League, in particular his captaincy of Manchester United. He is the joint most ...
had been scouting Bamford, as they were looking into the possibility of calling him up to the Republic of Ireland squad, should the striker change allegiance back to the Ireland national team. On 23 December 2018, new Republic of Ireland manager
Mick McCarthy Michael Joseph McCarthy (born 7 February 1959) is a professional Manager (association football), football manager, pundit and former Association football, footballer. He was most recently the head coach of Blackpool F.C., Blackpool. McCarthy b ...
confirmed he would be speaking to Bamford about calling him up to the national team, and on 7 March 2019 McCarthy claimed that Bamford would be switching his allegiance back to Ireland. McCarthy said in June 2019 that he was still waiting for Bamford to make a decision about playing for Ireland, saying that he was "refusing to chase" him with former Leeds and Republic of Ireland striker
Robbie Keane Robert David Keane (born 8 July 1980) is an Irish professional football coach and former player who played as a striker and is currently the head coach of Ferencváros. Keane served as captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until h ...
saying: "He should be chasing us. He should want to come here. If he doesn't want to, no problem. We shouldn't be chasing people, by the way." In October 2020, Bamford said in an interview that it "would be a dream ome true to play for England and make the England squad for
UEFA Euro 2020 The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's association footb ...
(later postponed until 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
). He also said that he would aim to make the squad but was not named as one of Gareth Southgate's squad of 26 players, nor his provisional 33-player-squad, announced on 25 May 2021. In August 2021, Bamford was called up for the
England national team Team England usually refers to the name under which athletes representing Commonwealth Games England compete. England team or Team England may refer to: *Commonwealth Games England *England national football team *England cricket team *England nat ...
for the first time ahead of September's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
,
Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
and
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. His debut came against Andorra on 5 September 2021, where he started and played 62 minutes of the 4–0 victory at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
(he was not named for the game against Hungary, but was an unused substitute in the Poland game in Warsaw on 8 September).


Style of play

Bamford is a versatile
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...
, who can play as a lone striker (which is how he was almost exclusively utilised by
Marcelo Bielsa Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (, nicknamed ''El Loco Bielsa'' , meaning 'The Madman Bielsa'; born 21 July 1955) is an Argentine professional Association football, football manager who is the current manager of the Uruguay national football team ...
) or in a pair, and can also play on either
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...
. He is known for his technique and ability on the ball and his delivery of assists, as well as his proficiency in the air. Although deployed as a solitary striker, Bamford also provided one of the highest rates of assists for a player in his position in the Premier League. Preferring to let the ball run and delivering a strike as his first touch, the vast majority of Bamford's goals — and all of his penalties — are scored with his left foot, although he scores extensively with his head and, to a lesser extent, his right foot.


Personal life

Bamford became a father in 2022. He married his long time partner Michaela Ireland on 7 June 2024 at Grantley Hall, Ripon.


Career statistics


Club


International


Honours

Leeds United *
EFL Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...
: 2019–20, 2024–25 Individual *
Football League One Player of the Month The EFL League One Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in EFL League One, the English football league system, third tier of English football. Originally nam ...
: October 2013 * Football League Young Player of the Month: December 2013 *
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, i ...
Player of the Year: 2014–15


References


External links


Profile
at the Leeds United F.C. website
Profile
at the Football Association website {{DEFAULTSORT:Bamford, Patrick 1993 births Living people Footballers from Grantham English men's footballers Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Men's association football forwards Nottingham Forest F.C. players Chelsea F.C. players Milton Keynes Dons F.C. players Derby County F.C. players Middlesbrough F.C. players Crystal Palace F.C. players Norwich City F.C. players Burnley F.C. players Leeds United F.C. players English Football League players Premier League players Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers England men's youth international footballers England men's under-21 international footballers England men's international footballers English people of Irish descent People educated at Nottingham High School 21st-century English sportsmen 21st-century Irish sportsmen