Patrick Bamford believes Leeds United showed they belong with the ‘best of the best’ at Liverpool

Marcelo Bielsa’s side came within two minutes of claiming a point nobody could have argued with before Mo Salah struck late from the penalty spot – to seal his hat-trick and secure victory for Jurgen Klopp’s vaunted side.

The Whites stunned their counterparts by drawing level three times throughout the contest before the late goal dashed any hopes of Leeds leaving Merseyside with a point on the opening day of their first season among the elite for 16 years.

United, though, earned justified plaudits for their performance as they quickly adjusted to life in the top flight under the guidance of Argentinian head coach Bielsa.

“We showed a lot of character to keep coming back when we went down,” said Bamford.

“We showed that we can compete with the best of the best.

“We’ve kind of shown to ourselves that we need to be 100 per cent on it all the time because any slip up in the Premier League you get punished.

“I think we’ve learnt a few lessons, but we’ve also shown a few positive signs. We’re disappointed we didn’t come away with anything.

“The first 20 minutes were really hard. It kind of flew by, to be honest. They were pressing high and we were trying to press high, so it was just very frantic.”

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today.

Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers.

So, please - if you can - pay for our work. Just £5 per month is the starting point. If you think that which we are trying to achieve is worth more, you can pay us what you think we are worth. By doing so, you will be investing in something that is becoming increasingly rare. Independent journalism that cares less about right and left and more about right and wrong. Journalism you can trust.

Thank you

James Mitchinson