Patrick Bamford sizes up prospects of lining up alongside Eddie Nketiah in Leeds United front line

PATRICK BAMFORD believes he and Eddie Nketiah could line up in the same Leeds United team insisting the star Arsenal loanee is more than just a striker.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford looks on as Eddie Nketiah scores the only goal of the game in the 1-0 Championship success at home to Barnsley. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.DOUBLE TROUBLE: Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford looks on as Eddie Nketiah scores the only goal of the game in the 1-0 Championship success at home to Barnsley. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford looks on as Eddie Nketiah scores the only goal of the game in the 1-0 Championship success at home to Barnsley. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.

Bamford and Nketiah have so far been limited to playing just 13 minutes together during the latter stages of the Championship clash against Brentford at Elland Road in which Nketiah scored the only goal of the game just four minutes after coming on for Jack Harrison.

Those 13 minutes aside, Bamford has been selected in all five of United's league games to play in a lone striker role by Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa with Nketiah coming on for Bamford in a like-for-like change in the last 16 minutes of the 3-0 win at Stoke City and the final half hour of last weekend's 1-0 loss at home to Swansea City.

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Nketiah has already admitted that playing as a centre forward is his favoured and natural role but Bamford believes the England under-21 international could also thrive playing either side of a centre-forward in a front three or even as no 10 in a similar fashion to last season's top scorer Kemar Roofe.

Roofe played as a centre forward during Bamford's two spells injured last season but also reverted to the no 10 role during times when both players were fit.

Asked if he could see himself and Nketiah playing together, Bamford said: "I think so. Before he came here I think he has played across the whole front three so he's not just a striker.

"He can play no 7 or no 11 and you saw last year only briefly but me and Roofey sometimes played together - I know it was hard with both of us being injured but we played as a 9 and a 10 so you never know.

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"The only time we have really played together was Brentford and Eddie came on and scored but with the whole game with there being three centre backs with one striker against three centre backs it was difficult.

"For our goal, having two strikers up there, it just automatically takes away the fact that they can't just focus on one of you and then obviously Eddie was free to score.

"I think it has its positives and in certain systems having two strikers works but we just believe in what the gaffer wants and what the gaffer wants we will do.

"We believe in everything he does."