Patrick Bamford has claimed that he ‘appreciates’ Leeds United fans chanting that he is ‘England’s number nine’, as he told his pre-match press conference.
It was put to Bamford that the Leeds away support were chanting just that during their away clash at Burnley before his international bow.
Bamford, who could make his England debut against Hungary in a World Cup qualifier this evening, scored a late equalising goal during that game.
And whilst he reacted to that chant from the weekend, he also remembered something similar against Southampton, as he shared that the bond he has with them is ‘very big’.
“It’s always nice,” said Bamford. “I hear that at the end of last season, at some point when I think they were singing that away at Southampton.
“It was kind of tongue and cheek. It’s nice whenever the fans sing your name, as you mentioned, it’s not always smooth sailing when you move to a club.
“But the bond I have got with the Leeds fans now and what we have created together, it’s very big and I appreciate it every time they sing for me.”
Given that Calvert-Lewin has had to pull out with an injury, this increases Bamford’s chances of getting some minutes tonight.
Of course, Harry Kane will lead the line, in what will be the Three Lions’ first game since that Euro 2020 final heartache.
But Bamford now knows that he is on the tip of being an England regular because if he impresses here then he can push ahead in that pecking order.
It seems as though Kane and Calvert-Lewin are ahead of him, but either himself or Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins are next in line.
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