Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has suggested on beIN SPORTS 11 (23/10/20 at 10:15 pm) that he is now beginning to change his mind about Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford.
Bamford netted a hat-trick against Aston Villa on Friday night and Hasselbaink thinks he’s proving to be a ‘very good player’ and a ‘very good goalscorer’ in the Premier League compared to his days in the second-tier where he was a critic of him.
Whilst in the Championship, Bamford had his critics because of the number of clear-cut chances he missed, but he has been ruthless and dominant despite taking a step up to a tougher league.
Hasselbaink was impressed with the performance Bamford produced at Villa Park and how he reacted to missing a couple of chances during the first period.
“He was brilliant in the second half,” Hasselbaink told beIN SPORTS. “In the first half, he missed a couple of chances. But he put it right and what a way.
“He has had a lot of critics, especially last year and especially from me as well. But this year in the Premier League, he has shown that he is a very good player and a very good goalscorer. He took his goal really, really well.
Andy Townsend added: “He’s clearly relishing and enjoying life under Bielsa and he has deserved his hat-trick. For Villa, second best all over the park and they need to improve again.”
Given Bamford’s form, there is now talk of him potentially earning an England call and he only needs to look across the Elland Road changing room to know it can be done.
Kalvin Phillips is now becoming a regular in the England ranks having been part of the last two squads, but it seems injury will rule him out of the forthcoming games in November.
But as a certain Dominic Calvert-Lewin has proved for Everton, if you don’t stop scoring then there comes a point when you cannot be ignored.
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