This time a year ago, Patrick Bamford for England shouts would have sounded wholly ridiculous, but now, they seem to be on the rise.
13 league goals this season has led to mounting speculation about Bamford getting a chance on the international stage.
Unfortunately for Bamford, the striker position in the national team is an incredibly competitive spot with the likes of Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Ings, Callum Wilson and Ollie Watkins all competing to be Gareth Southgate’s number nine, and that’s before we even mention Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford who can also play there.
Sadly, this abundance of talent up top has led to some very talented players not getting a fair shake on the international scene, and that’s why Michail Antonio is reportedly set to pledge his allegiance to the Jamaican national team in order to increase his chances of playing at a World Cup.
Leeds fans and West Ham fans probably fall on different sides of the fence on this one, but there is certainly an argument to make that Antonio is more deserving of a call-up than Bamford as he’s been doing it at this level for much longer, but the Hammers’ frontman has seemingly given up on playing for England.
Now, we’re not saying that Bamford should make a snap decision on his international future, but if he isn’t picked in any of the squads in the lead-up to the Euros, he may want to consider the fact that he’s also eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland.
With all due respect to Ireland, their depth at striker isn’t the same as England’s and while they’ve not played at a World Cup for almost 20 years, they’re always perennial contenders in qualifying.
It does feel like now or never for Bamford in terms of getting an England call-up, and if, like Antonio, he has ambitions of playing at a World Cup before his career is over, he may want to think about turning out for the Boys in Green if Gareth Southgate doesn’t get in touch soon.
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