‘I thought’… Sky Sports pundit left amazed by £7m player’s turnaround at Leeds United recently

Add as preferred source on Google

2024 has definitely been the year for fringe players to come to the fore at Leeds United.

The Whites had seemingly found a settled starting XI during the final few months of 2023, but a sticky festive period, alongside a couple of injuries, saw Daniel Farke made some changes.

Junior Firpo, Ilia Gruev, Willy Gnonto and Patrick Bamford – all of whom hardly started at all during the first half of the season – have played key roles in Leeds’ run of seven wins a row.

But it is the form of the latter which has really impressed former striker Clinton Morrison, given how bleak it looked for him at Elland Road just a matter of months ago after a penalty miss at Stoke City.

Speaking on Sky Sports earlier this week, Morrison says Bamford has been ‘outstanding’ in the last few weeks and has shown great character in regaining his confidence again.

Morrison hails Bamford turnaround

He said: “He is important. But I didn’t think he would get back into the team. Joel Piroe, who they signed, was outstanding. But when you have competition for places, that’s what Leeds have. Bamford can come in there and he has done well. He has been given his opportunity.

“I remember when he first came back, he missed a penalty against Stoke. I thought it would knock his confidence and he came out of the team. Now he is getting all kinds of goals. That’s what Patrick Bamford wants, is service. I think he has been outstanding.”

Unfortunately Bamford picked up an injury at the most frustrating possible time in the warm-up before Tuesday’s win at Swansea City, but prior to that, he claimed he is the happiest he has been in a while.

With his movement in behind better than anyone else in the squad, the £7m man still remains a unique attacking option in Daniel Farke’s squad and it is good that he has been able to prove that again.

Hopefully this injury he suffered earlier in the week was only precautionary and he is not out for too long, as he had been playing a really important role in Leeds’ impressive run.