Patrick Bamford is an English professional soccer player who plays for Leeds United in the Premier League as a striker.
Bamford came through the youth academy at Nottingham Forest, graduating in 2011 and signing for Chelsea in 2012. While on the books of the Blues, he struggled to gain first team action, spending time on loan at MK Dons, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Burnley.
At Leeds, he has fulfilled the promise he showed as a youngster. In the Premier League, he has proven his critics wrong, scoring regularly for Marcelo Bielsa's men.
After playing junior soccer for Muskham Cougars, Bamford joined Nottingham Forest's academy at the age of eight. He attended the independent fee-paying Nottingham High School. His school did not have a soccer team, so he played rugby union as a full-back until the end of Year 10.
Bamford was offered the opportunity to attend Harvard University on a soccer scholarship after impressive academic results, but opted to focus on pursuing a soccer career in England.
Congratulations to @Patrick_Bamford on being named @SkyBetChamp Player of the Year at the #FLAwards pic.twitter.com/FiwP2K36n0
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) April 19, 2015
"After that I'm concentrating on the Euro's with England so, I think by the time I'm back from the Euro's I can sit down with Chelsea and see what's happening.
However, it became increasingly difficult to see a path into the Blues first team for him, particularly after Chelsea stormed to the 2014/15 Premier League title with Diego Costa leading the line with distinction.
In January 2017, Bamford joined Middlesbrough on a four-and-a-half-year deal in the region of £5.5million.
Bamford played out wide and as a striker for Boro. He suffered relegation from the Premier League with them, but played a key role in the team which made the Championship play-off semi-finals the following season.
Bamford joined Leeds United on a four-year contract on July 31, 2018 for a fee reported to be in the region of £10million, becoming one of the new signings to usher in the Marcelo Bielsa era at Elland Road. He scored 10 goals in 25 matches in all competitions during the 2018/19 season as Leeds United were eliminated in the Championship play-off semi-finals by Derby County.
Bamford went on to score 16 goals in 45 Championship matches in the 2019/20 season as Leeds secured promotion and the Championship title. Even so, there was doubt in some quarters regarding whether or not Bamford was a clinical enough goalscorer to play a major role for Bielsa's side in the Premier League.
He gained rave reviews not only for his performances on the field of play, but also for his stance against racism in sport.
After six Premier League clubs tried to play a part in forming a breakaway European Super League, Bamford told Sky Sports: "We've just seen what pretty much everyone else has seen on Twitter.
"We're like fans really, we can't believe it and we're talking about it [among ourselves].
Bamford has spoken of how he has often been viewed differently to his peers in soccer given that it is known as a working class sport and he is of a more privileged upbringing than many fellow players.
"Football is generally a working-class sport and because of the fact I went to private school and was brought up slightly differently, people think that makes me a different person," he was quoted as saying by The Sun.
"Everyone has to work hard. Everything you get is because of the work you put in yourself."
According to Spotrac, Bamford earns an annual salary of £1.82million at Leeds.
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