Patrick Bamford says he would “relish the competition” of battling Erling Haaland for minutes at Leeds United if the prolific Norwegian were to stun the football world and link up with the club he supported as a boy.
An exciting talent currently starring for Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund has made no secret of the fact that he grew up following the Whites after being born in Yorkshire during his father’s spell at Elland Road.
Haaland has admitted in the past that he would love to deliver Premier League title glory to Leeds, suggesting that a move could be made at some stage, and those who already boast strong ties to the club are allowing themselves to dream.
What has been said?
Bamford has been speaking on Leeds’ official podcast, with the question put to him: Are you at all worried about when Haaland signs in the summer, that you’ll be fighting for your place?
That message was tongue in cheek, with the Dortmund striker being linked with leading sides across Europe, but Bamford was happy to play along.
He responded by jokingly saying: “I relish the competition!”
What has Haaland said about Leeds?
Back in 2017, when he was a starry-eyed hopeful on the books at Molde, Haaland told Afternposten of his future ambition: “I want to be the best possible.
“The dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds. In addition, the goal is to become a better player than my dad was. I hope to get more caps than he did.”
Following an international friendly outing for Norway against Northern Ireland in 2020, Haaland took the opportunity to swap shirts with current Whites star Stuart Dallas and sing the club’s anthem.
Dallas told talkSPORT: “He walked behind me and asked about swapping shirts. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, because we’d just been beaten 5-1 and I’m laughing on camera.
“It probably didn’t look too good. I thought he meant inside, but he shouted at me and asked to do it now.
“We did it and then he leaned into me and said, ‘Marching on Together!’
“It was a bit strange. I’ve known the Leeds connection with his father and it’s nice that he wanted my shirt.”
Haaland vs Bamford in 2020-21
Both men have enjoyed impressive runs in front of goal this season, with their respective clubs benefitting from notable strike rates.
Haaland has netted 27 times through as many outings in 2020-21, with 17 of those efforts recorded in the Bundesliga.
At Leeds, Bamford has hit 13 goals in 26 appearances, with all of his end product coming in Premier League competition.