Roy Hodgson makes Patrick Bamford admission ahead of Leeds United striker's return to Crystal Palace

Bamford spent five months on loan at Palace from former parent club Chelsea in the first-half of the 2015-16 Premier League campaign but made just six appearances from the bench for a combined total of 112 minutes without scoring for Alan Pardew's side.

The striker then returned to Chelsea before heading out for loan spells to Norwich City and Burnley and then ultimately signing for Middlesbrough in January 2017.

Bamford then signed for Leeds for £7m in the summer of 2018 and two years later the striker is back in the Premier League with United having already netted six goals in his first seven games.

A return to his temporary former stomping ground at Selhurst Park is now next and whilst Hodgson is unsure of what happened with Bamford at Palace, the Eagles boss says he has full admiration for the forward's attributes in the here and now.

"I can't make comparisons between how he is now and how he was at Crystal Palace," said Hodgson, who was England boss at the time.

"I wasn't at Crystal Palace then so I really had no way of following him.

"I don't even know if I was in the country when he was playing for Crystal Palace.

"Basically speaking what I can say is that his performances for Leeds in helping them achieve promotion in the first hand and the way he has started this season, not only with his goals but his ability to lead the line and his work rate that he gives them upfront as a centre forward, I'm full of admiration for what he has done.

"I am very sure that everyone at Leeds is full of admiration for what he has done and it will be our job to try and keep him quiet but we know that won't be easy because of the qualities he possesses."

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Thank you Laura Collins