Patrick Bamford and Raphinha’s Leeds United careers have taken very different paths but ultimately ended up at the same stage with both players recently making their international debuts. Bamford earned his first cap for England in the 4-0 win against Andorra last month while his Brazilian team mate represented his country for the first time last week. Both players were brilliant in the Whites’ first season back in the Premier League last term and have since been rewarded with one of the greatest honours in football. On the Official Leeds United Podcast, he was asked for his ‘sporting moment of the week’, to which
Patrick Bamford said: “Raphinha’s debut for Brazil. Obviously, he came on and changed the game, which is massive, but the fact that he’s playing for Brazil, I think that’s massive. When I think of when I was younger, all the Brazilian heroes that you’d watch at the World Cup. The fact that Rapha’s now played for Brazil is just unbelievable. I gave him a text, it took him 48 hours or more to reply but I’m just really happy for him.”
He also claimed that everyone at Leeds was nothing but happy for Raphinha who has more than earned his place in the Brazil squad with his performances throughout last season. The support shown towards the 24-year-old for such a momentous occasion is likely similar to what Bamford received this time a few weeks ago as he stepped onto the Wembley pitch as an England player for the first time.
Patrick Bamford said: “[At Leeds] I’ve never seen anyone be jealous or not show support for things they’ve achieved,” said the Leeds striker. “It’s different when you’re younger and feel like you’re competing against someone who’s in your age group. But when it gets to international stage and you see your team mates get there and play, I feel like everyone understands how hard you’ve worked to get to that point so there is so much respect for everyone who manages to do it. It’s a massive achievement.”
Leeds supporters will be hoping to see Bamford return to the starting XI in the next couple of weeks after he has been forced to sit out of their last two matches. The England striker confirmed that it was ‘improving’ on the podcast and he shouldn’t be out for too much longer with next weekend’s visit of Wolves likely to be the target of his return.
