Gareth Southgate released his 26-man England quad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the team release and a lot of speculation as to which names would be considered and which names would be dropped.
When the squad list was released, among the most notable misses was the name of Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford. Bamford has been in fine form this season and many believed he warranted a first call-up to the national team.
The former Chelsea and Middlesbrough striker has seen his career take an upward trajectory ever since he joined Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa. Having joined in the 2018/19 season, when Leeds were still in the Championship, Bamford was a regular in the side that narrowly missed out on promotion. The following season in 19/20, Bamford top-scored for his club with 16 goals as the Whites romped to the title and promotion. Since then the 27-year-old has caught the eye of many.
Now in his first Premier League season with the Yorkshire club he has scored 14 goals so far and is just 3 goals behind the top scorer in the race for the Golden Boot. His strong performances in this season have highlighted his quality and many eyebrows were raised when he was omitted from the national squad by Southgate.
However, Bamford could find comfort in the fact that he has not lost his chance, with the England boss admitting that the Leeds striker was very close to a call-up and could be in the squad if any player were to pull out due to any reason. If the English striker were to continue with his fine goal-scoring form it is very likely that he could get the call to go the Euros with the national squad.
Bamford showed that he will not be disheartened by the fact that he missed out on the Three Lions call-up with a fine display against Fulham, just a day after the squad was announced. Scoring a goal and assisting the other in Leeds United’s 2-0 win against Fulham, he showed exactly what he brings to the table and why he could be a very vital player for his national team. With England currently having one of the strongest attacking departments with the likes of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho, it is very difficult to get into the squad. However, Bamford has showed his class over the season and a few more impressive showings will definitely earn him that coveted England cap.
