AMID ALL THE talk of Jack Grealish lately, one other player’s suggestion that he might be interested in playing for Ireland has slipped somewhat under the radar.
Patrick Bamford may not have starred in an FA Cup semi-final, but he can has one thing that Grealish does not — regular game time at a relatively high level.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about Middlesbrough’s on-loan Chelsea striker.
- Bamford has impressed in the Championship this year, scoring 19 goals for Middlesbrough and earning Player of the Year in the league as a result.
- The jury remains out as to whether he can perform at the highest level for Chelsea or someone else, but like Grealish, he has one fine FA Cup display against a big club to his name, as Bamford put in an influential performance when Middlesbrough beat Man City earlier this season, scoring the first goal (see below).
- He has actually played for Ireland before at U18 level, however he was born in Lincolnshire, England and qualifies for the Irish team through the grandparent rule. Moreover, he ultimetely switched allegiance to England at underage level, and has since played for their U18s, U19s and U21s.
- Middlesbrough are not the first club that the 21-year-old has played for on loan. After Chelsea signed him as a teenager for £1.5million from Nottingham Forest, he scored 18 goals in 37 appearances during two loan spells at MK Dons between 2012 and 2013. Before moving to Middlesbrough, he also scored eight goals in 21 appearances for Derby. Overall, his record is not bad when you consider that fellow young striker Harry Kane, to whom Bamford is often compared, scored just two goals in 13 appearances for Leicester in 2013 and five in 18 for Leyton Orient in 2011.
- Man City are not the only Premier League team to whom Bamford has done damage. He also scored a penalty in the last minute of extra-time against Liverpool during the sides’ League Cup clash back in September.
- In general, he is quite prolific around the box if given half a chance, as the compilation below demonstrates.
- Bamford’s natural finishing ability has been honed from a very young age — the player joined Nottingham Forest’s academy as an eight-year-old, though he attended a rugby-playing school, and had a brief stint as a fullback in the sport.
- He excelled in school — so much so that he was offered a scholarship by Harvard University, which he turned down in order to pursue a career in football.
- While preferring to play up front, the 21-year-old is versatile enough to play as a left winger if needed.
- Bamford is on speaking terms with Niall Horan of One Direction fame, and Jose Mourinho texts Horan about Bamford “all the time,” according to this Guardian article.
- In feature articles, he is invariably described as a ‘nice lad,’ or something along those lines, but he undoubtedly has a self-confident, fiery side. The youngster fought with a more senior player, Kike Garcia, over the right to take a penalty during a 2-0 victory over Rotherham earlier this season, and ended up missing. To his credit though, Bamford subsequently apologised. He added: “To be honest that should stay inside the changing room… We know before the game who the penalty taker is, that is put up on the board in the changing room. It was me, but it is all sorted now.”
- He is optimistic about stepping up to a higher level at Chelsea, saying in a recent interview…
“Most strikers playing in the Premier League regularly are aged around 23 or 24. At a club like Chelsea they have the money to buy world class strikers like Diego Costa and there’s also that pressure to win trophies, I just have to stick with it, be patient and hopefully my rewards will come. I want to play for Chelsea, I hope I do get that chance and I think I can compete.”
Hope so tipp are the only county that have no fear off kk.
If Tipp had no fear of Kilkenny I honestly think that they would have beating them more over the last few years,in 09 they panicked and got a red card,10 everything went right for them,11 they just didn’t turn up,12 they catastrophic collapse in the 2nd half,13 they somehow lost against a badly patched up KK team that was missing half and the other half were playing with injuries and then in 2014 they just couldn’t win even though it was probably the best 1-15 team performance of modern times.They all played UNREAL that day! And then this year it was like a false dawn for them.I’m a Kilkenny fan and Im not being biast but I really question that attitude.I have seen all their shortcomings in the last few years,I think that when push comes to shove that they lack something…….. I don’t know what,but Iv seen enough to have a hunch that I would question them rather than saying Kilkenny are just a great team.And this is coming from a Kilkenny man!
Absolute spot on analysis from you Ionatan with a fada ,Tipp do have the leaders in the team when it counts.
Do not not not not
I realise his commitments mean he is a busy but personally I’d love to Eamon O Shea appointed to a Director of Hurling type roll within the game, whatever your view on his successes or failure’s with, any true hurling person will have to agree that his brand of hurling and philosophy on the game is exactly where the sport should be moving. How many of the genuine hurling classics over last 6 years are down to his attacking free flowing style of hurling. Would love to see it implemented across the hurling landscape…
Hurling has always been attacking and free flowing! there was very few classics last year but overall its always been a fast paced game you cant attribute that to oshea
If they have as much success in the next 10 years as they did with O’Shea as manager it won’t be a good legacy will it!!!
@ OneDay
Does your anus ever get jealous of the sh!+ that flows from your mouth
Another article another negative comment
Negative but true. One Munster title in 3 years for a top team like Tipp is pathetic.
Brian Cody has left a legacy, forget the rest. Winning All Ireland’s is the only stat that counts. Fanning and Tipp may forget the talk of legacys and past managers as currently Tipp’s time is passing them by.
Spot on! One All Ireland from the team that was going to do a 5 in a row! Truly dreadful.
But it’s 5 titles in 8 yrs, it depends what slant you put on it OneDay, it’s your negative comments towards any other county bar Kilkenny that is pathetic
It’s one Munster title in 3 years with O’Shea as manager. There is no other slant to put on it.
All other hurling teams are rubbish. Kilkenny are the only team who are enjoyable to watch.
So OneDay I’ll ask you once again, are you a liar or just someone who jumps on the bandwagon, as you have already said you neither come from or live in kilkenny. Simple question asked, simple answer required.
No
Hon the mines, we have a shit record , 5 al Ireland’s in the last 45 years , jasus even Clare have won 3 and lads are talking about legacies , tipp hurling is a joke , all the talk after 2010 senior and 21 wins , ya tipp will be around for a long time , take a look at what has happened since = jack shit
Let’s be honest at the start of summer it’s an all ireland the big teams want not a provincial championship
“One day Frank from killkenny” is still telling porkies, poor chap has such bitterness and is so far up his own hole he is lost in in his own shite.
Some legacy lost lost lost !!
Where did ya get that from gary?
10 years of failure
Scholars full a scutter like the auld lad.
I see you don’t have the balls to show your face either , great lad hiding behind this site , a coward
Mike Meara from Toom won a lot for tipp didn’t he declan.
A lot more that you did you piece of shit
Hon the mines , I wonder who is in there let have a guess, Sean Q is that you?