Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford scored 17 Premier League goals and made seven assists in 38 games in 2020-21.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane was the only English forward involved in more goals than the 27-year-old, but his impressive campaign was not enough for England manager Gareth Southgate.
The Three Lions boss has named his 33-man provisional list for the European Championship and Bamford has missed out.
Kane, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin made the list ahead of the Leeds star, and he would have been left gutted with Southgate’s decision.
The Elland Road outfit are also not pleased with seeing their striker fail to make the provisional squad, taking to Twitter to react by posting a reel of all his top-flight goals for the season:
🔥 Our number 9! What a season! pic.twitter.com/XAQIWiCAZs
— Leeds United (@LUFC) May 25, 2021
Leeds have clearly sent a message to Southgate, and some of their fans will not hesitate to blame the Three Lions boss for excluding Bamford should the team fail to impress at the tournament.
Southgate will submit his final 26-man squad for Euro 2020 on June 1, and seven players will be dropped.
Given the impressive season he had, the Whites star deserved to at least make the initial 33-man list, and he will have to do more next season to force his way into Southgate’s plans ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Bamford needs to improve significantly in front of goal next term and going forward after missing the most big chances (21) in the Premier League this season.
Registering at least 25 league goals to his name would have left Southgate with no choice than to pick the Leeds star, and producing numbers similar to Kane could be the only way for him to become an England international.
In other news, Marcelo Bielsa reportedly admires Ajax winger as Leeds plot move.
