Marcelo Bielsa says £35k-a-week Leeds star has improved in every aspect of his game

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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has praised Patrick Bamford for his “evolution” this season.

The 27-year-old has been superb this term, registering an impressive 12 goals and six assists from 22 Premier League appearances.

Bamford, who netted his 100th career goal against Crystal Palace on Monday, now has some fans and pundits calling for his inclusion in the England squad for the upcoming European Championships.

Just last summer, after Leeds were promoted, doubts remained over whether Bamford could cope in the Premier League, considering he sometimes struggled to put chances away in the Championship.

However, he has proven his critics wrong, and speaking ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Arsenal, Bielsa praised his player and urged him to maintain consistency until the end of the season.

“It’s praise that is deserved,” the Leeds boss told reporters on Friday, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “In all aspects of his game there’s been an evolution.

“From now on, what’s important is to maintain consistency for what is left of the season.”

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Even as Leeds got promoted last term, some 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 striker has answered his critics in style, and Bielsa deserves credit for keeping faith in his player, a decision which has reaped dividends and has left a lot of people eating humble pie.