Leeds United goal hero Patrick Bamford addresses 'confidence' talk after frustrating first half of season - and a message to the doubters

After a tough 2023, the striker has been busy making up for lost time at the start of the new year after scoring in successive starts in league and cup, against Birmingham City and Peterborough United respectively.

Bamford’s ‘appetiser’ came against Blues when he netted in the 3-0 Championship victory at Elland Road on New Year’s Day - to get on the scoresheet for the first time since last April in his first start of 2023-24.

It represented his first start of the campaign after 16 substitute appearances, with fitness and injury issues having also affected him at the opening of 2023-24.

The main course was served up in delicious fashion on Sunday when he struck a sublime volley in a goal-of-the-season contender in the Cup win at London Road.

His strike against Posh conjured memories of happier times at the club in particular for Bamford, but he was quick to stress afterwards that talk of his career getting ‘going again’ is wide of the mark.

He said: "To be honest, I never thought they weren’t. Everyone says that ‘his confidence is down’.

"But it wasn’t. I was just frustrated or angry that I wasn’t starting. But to me, it has been ‘keep going until you get the chance.’”

Bamford’s brilliant strike at Posh after latching onto Ethan Ampadu’s long pass, bringing the ball under control in an instant on his chest and then swivelling and lashing home an exquisite left-footed volley for the goal of the round, represented a picture-book moment on FA third-round weekend.

On whether he had scored a better goal in his career, the 30-year-old acknowledged: “No, probably not. But it only counts as one so they all count the same, I guess.

"I made a few runs during the game and then as soon as I brought it down on my chest, I had one thing on my mind, really.

"I didn’t realise until I actually hit the ball that the defender had slipped, so I could have taken it on. But I’d already made up my mind that I was going to shoot.

"I am pleased with it, but it just counts the same as a tap-in."

After three successive away defeats in the league, United got back on track in impressive fashion in the Fens - in a game which saw Ethan Ampadu score his first goals for the club in a 3-0 triumph.

Bamford continued: "It was a good game.

"They are a really good side and the manager said in the meetings that when they are playing at the top of League One as they are that it’s pretty much the same as a good Championship team and they showed that and were dangerous and had a good style of play and they made it a little bit difficult and we had to make sure we got our press right, otherwise they got through us and the first goal was crucial.”