The 2021/2022 campaign was one to forget for all involved with Leeds United - not least Patrick Bamford. Just two weeks after his first ever England cap against Andorra, the striker picked up an ankle injury against Newcastle United in what turned out to be the first of a litany of problematic injuries that would keep him out for most of the season.
The 28-year-old made just a handful of appearances throughout the season, returning from long spells out just to pick up another injury and return to the sidelines. And his luck was summed up when, back fit and ready to help Leeds in their final day clash with Brentford, the striker tested positive for Covid-19 and watched from his bed at home.
Leeds won that game and secured their status as a top-flight team, and Bamford now has a full summer of rest and pre-season training to get back to his best. The England call up - for a 4-0 win against Andorra - was merited after 17 goals and seven assists in 38 games helped the Whites climb to ninth in their first season back.
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And now, with Fifa having approved 26-man squads for this year's World Cup in Qatar - up from the usual 23 - the former Middlesbrough man has added motivation to come back better than ever ahead of the 2022/2023 campaign. Gareth Southgate’s side have struggled for goals recently and that came to a climax during the recent Nations League games in which England scored one goal in four games and twice blanked against Hungary.
The England manager admitted after the 0-0 draw with Italy that he relies too much on Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling for goals adding: "We have two or three very good chances that we have to take. You don't have that many chances against top teams. We would like to have created more from the possession that we had. We are very reliant on Harry and Raheem for our goals at the moment and that is a concern."
That match saw a return to the England squad for Roma striker Tammy Abraham, but the ex-Chelsea man failed to impress on a tough night. Southgate only picked two forwards for that squad and will need to add to that this winter.
And if Bamford can hit the ground running next season and avoid a recurrence of any injuries, then he can force his way into the squad for November’s trip to the Middle-East. The Whites frontman will face competition from the likes of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, and Newcastle United forward Callum Wilson as additional support for Kane, but can offer individual qualities that set him apart from the pack.
The striker’s relentless work-rate will no doubt attract admiration from Southgate, while his intelligent build up play makes him so much more than just a goalscorer. How serious Bamford’s chances of a dream World Cup call up are will depend on his fitness, but with a full summer to work on his injuries and regain his sharpness, there's every chance he could be on the plane.
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