Patrick Bamford names 'horrible' defender he 'hated' facing for Leeds United amid Erling Haaland claim

Patrick Bamford used to be left 'scratched all over' after spending 90 minutes battling against the 'horrible' Everton defender Yerry Mina.

Bamford has been no stranger to the more physical side of the game as Leeds United's No.9, having mixed it up with some of the best defenders in the world during three years in the Premier League. The £7million signing got the better of the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Silva at times but also found himself getting drawn into personal battles.

And few came more aggressive than Mina, who only came up against Bamford twice but did his utmost to rattle the Whites frontman - and to good effect. Speaking on the latest episode of his My Mate's A Footballer podcast, he singled out the former Everton man for his on-pitch antics that even got to Erling Haaland.

“I know someone I hated playing against, he was a good defender but not the hardest I’ve played against but it was horrible," Bamford said. "I think Man City and Haaland played against him and there was a picture after the game, I am pretty sure he scored and he had his top off.

“You could see the scratches and marks in certain places and I knew. It’s Yerry Mina who used to be at Everton. Every time I played against him he tries to give you some verbals but I quite enjoyed it, but then off the ball you know like a chicken nip on the back of the arm?

“He’d do that but hard and twist, the whole game. You’d come off and you’d be scratched all over your back and chest, arms bruised. Like you’ve been wrestling with a cat.”

Bamford and Mina enjoyed a fierce individual battle during the opening weeks of the 2021/2022 campaign, a game in which Leeds and Everton drew 2-2 at Elland Road. The Colombian defender used every trick in the book to rile up his opponent but Bamford gave as good as he got, with the pair having to be separated by Jordan Pickford after clashing.

The Leeds striker has recently reminded supporters of his love for the dark arts, seemingly flicking the ball in via his elbow to open the scoring in a 3-0 win against Rotherham last week. The 30-year-old appeared to celebrate by imitating the movement and is also thought to have shared a joke with the officials in the aftermath.