Patrick Bamford has proved a lot of doubters wrong with his impressive start to the season. His hat-trick in Leeds United’s victory over high-flying Aston Villa took his goal tally to six at the start of the Premier League season. It’s a figure that is only exceeded by Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
It has not been an easy ride for the Grantham-born striker, who has previously struggled in England’s top tier. However, under Marcelo Bielsa, Bamford has a manager who believes in him and who will stick by him no matter what. This is something that has elevated the forwards’ confidence and something that has allowed Bamford to become an integral part of how the club operates.
Can Patrick Bamford Maintain His Impressive Start?
Bamford Was a Hot Prospect Back in 2014
Ahead of the 2014/15 season, a 21-year-old, yet confident, Bamford stated his intentions to make the first team at Chelsea: “I want to be a first-team player,” said Bamford when he arrived at Championship club Middlesbrough that season. A bold but very achievable aim with the forward being one of England’s most exciting prospects.
His Middlesbrough side had to fight off several hopeful competitors in landing a loan deal for the 21-year-old. However, his early potential did not materialise into his parent club offering him much game-time. The Blues sent the young forward on several loans in an attempt to gain as much experience as possible, before integrating him into the first-team. A process that, as with several young promising Chelsea players, never happened.
Previous Spells in the Premier League Have Built Character
At only 27-years-old, Leeds are the fifth side that Bamford has played in the Premier League for. However, he has only managed to rack up 33 appearances in England’s top tier. It is no secret that he has struggled in previous seasons in making the step up. But, under Bielsa, he has a manager who will continue to put his faith in him.
After just one goal in 27 previous Premier League appearances, Bamford has scored an impressive six in six for Leeds. He has become a more rounded player with the Whites and has improved as Leeds continue to strengthen their squad around him.
Can the Impressive Start From Patrick Bamford Be Sustained?
The 27-year-old is a player who has always known where the back of the net is. Despite, not proving that in the Premier League until now, his spells in the Championship have always prolific. The service he gets at Leeds has also contributed to his early goal-scoring success.
Whether he can sustain his impressive form comes down to how he will react when the goals start to dry-up. The majority of forwards experience at least a little dip in form during the course of a season. And if Bamford falls victim to that, then it will be how he copes with the added pressure that will determine how good he can be.
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