Marcelo Bielsa insisted Patrick Bamford deserves all the credit for transforming his career after the striker’s hat-trick inspired a 3-0 wi...
Marcelo Bielsa insisted Patrick Bamford deserves all the credit for transforming his career after the striker’s hat-trick inspired a 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Friday.
Bielsa’s side moved into third in the Premier League thanks to Bamford’s 19-minute treble in the second half at Villa Park.
Bamford had one goal in 27 Premier League appearances prior to this season, but he already has six in six games this term. The hat-trick provided a sweet moment for the 27-year-old, who endured a long and winding road to the top enduring long-running criticism of his finishing.
Bamford had seven loan spells during his time as a Chelsea youth academy graduate before moving to Middlesbrough, then finally finding his feet under Bielsa’s tutelage at Leeds.
“It’s a dream come true. When the third went in it was elation. I will be telling my kids about this,” Bamford said after becoming only the second player to score in each of Leeds’s opening three top-flight away games since Gordon Hodgson in 1937-38.
“It is testament to how the team has worked. Without them I wouldn’t be able to score. Marcelo has put a lot of trust in me. People say Bielsa is a myth but we have shown Leeds are here to compete.”
While Bamford...
