‘I am full of admiration’: Roy Hodgson wowed by £35k-a-week Leeds star

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Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has been praised by Roy Hodgson ahead of Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites travelling to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The 27-year-old has hit the ground running for Leeds this season, grabbing six goals and two assists in the Whites’ opening seven Premier League games of the campaign.

Bamford was in especially inspired form against Aston Villa on 23 October, netting a hat-trick in a 3-0 thumping of the Midlands side.

The Englishman previously played for Crystal Palace, joining on loan from Chelsea in 2015-16 but cutting his stint short in January after just nine appearances and not a single league start.

“I can’t make comparisons with how he is now and how he was at Crystal Palace, I wasn’t at Crystal Palace,” Hodgson told PA – via FourFourTwo – of Bamford’s spell at Selhurst Park.

“What I can say is his performances for Leeds in helping them achieve promotion and the way he has started this season with not only goals, his ability to lead the line and his work-rate, I am full of admiration for what he has done.

“I am very sure everyone at Leeds is full of admiration for what he has done and it is our job to keep him quiet but we know it won’t be easy because of the qualities he possesses.”

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Even as Leeds got promoted last term, some fans didn’t think Bamford was clinical enough at Championship level, while plenty more questioned whether he’d be able to cut it in the Premier League.

Needless to say, the £35,000-a-week Whites striker has answered his critics in style and hopefully he can carry on delivering as Leeds keep making their mark in the top flight.

Admittedly, Bamford did struggle against Leicester, but such displays will hopefully be the exception this season and he can respond immediately this weekend.