Patrick Bamford made his debut for England last night and in the process, it provided another tip of the hat to the Nottingham Forest academy. The Leeds striker began his career with the Reds, coming through the ranks at the Nigel Doughty Academy.
The 28-year-old departed the City Ground in 2012. He joined Chelsea for around £2 million. At the time, Forest were desperate for some cash and offloading him allowed Steve Cotterell funds to keep the Reds in the Championship.
Bamford’s career has gone from strength to strength. He proved himself as a red-hot Championship goalscorer with Derby and also played for Middlesbrough.
His big move came in 2018. Bamford arrived at Leeds with nothing really to prove. It’s fair to say, however, that the £10 million transfer fee did raise some eyebrows among the Elland Road faithful.
During his time at Leeds, he has truly won over the club’s fan base. He has fired 44 goals from 114 appearances and his good form in the top-flight has earned him international recognition.
From leaving Forest, Bamford has developed into an outstanding footballer. His first season playing Premier League football reaped 17 goals and his call-up by Gareth Southgate was richly deserved.
What have Forest fans said about Bamford?
If there is one thing Forest fans love it’s seeing their own make a name for themselves. They’d prefer it if that came at the City Ground but in general, supporters are positive about departed academy stars.
Bamford is no different. Forest fans are a little gutted that they never got to see him in action, although at the time the club had little choice but to sell their prized youngster to Chelsea.
Despite his departure, his career has been watched with intrigue. When the team sheet was announced ahead of last night’s 4-0 win for England, Forest fans were quick to praise Bamford on Twitter. Here is what they had to say:
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