Kevin Kilbane wasn’t too pleased on Twitter with the thought of fans calling for Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford playing for the Republic of Ireland.
Whilst Scotland ended decades of hurt by qualifying for the delayed Euro 2020 on Thursday, the Republic of Ireland missed out on a spot with their lack of goals being a big problem.
Talk of the thriving Leeds man playing for ROI has been the talk of the media for some while now, with their former coach, Mick McCarthy trying to make him switch from England to Ireland.
Those calls for the Lincolnshire-born hitman to play for the country of his grandparents birth has reared its head again and BBC Sport pundit Kilbane issued this blunt response.
He wrote on Twitter at calls for Bamford to snub England for ROI : “Think we are alright and don’t need to go begging.
He then responded to a fan who told him not to be delusional: “I’m not. I couldn’t care less about him and wouldn’t want him in the squad.”
There has been a hesitation from Bamford to pick either England or the Republic of Ireland, but given his recent form, it would be a surprise if he wants to follow in the footsteps of Declan Rice and Jack Grealish.
There’s no doubt that Bamford will find it tough trying to break into England’s forward line, with the likes of Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Ings, Marcus Rashford and Tammy Abraham all ahead of him.
Plus, Newcastle striker Callum Wilson, who has also found his goalscoring touch since his summer move from relegated Bournemouth, already has a Three Lions cap to his name.
Either way, Bamford is a man in demand and he is now living up to those expectations that he set when playing for Chelsea’s jam-packed academy.
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