'That’s where most of the goals are scored' - the subtle changes making a big difference to Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford

“I was always playing two minutes off the bench, five minutes here and there,” said the Whites striker when comparing his first crack at the division to his second in the aftermath of his hat-trick in Friday’s 3-0 triumph at Aston Villa.

Nevertheless, the forward was quick to hail the main difference the second time around – “a manager who believes in me”, Marcelo Bielsa – who has improved the United squad as a whole out of all recognition.

And from Bamford there have also been subtle changes from within, from altering his attitude to the simple yet highly effective determination to keep himself “in between the goal posts” for his second crack at the Premier League.

Bamford’s top-flight debut came for Crystal Palace on loan from Chelsea back in August 2015 and over the next two seasons 27 outings in the country’s top division for Palace, Burnley, Norwich City and Middlesbrough followed.

At the 26th time of asking, the forward netted his first Premier League goal in Middlesbrough’s 2-1 loss at home to Southampton in May 2017.

Boro were relegated and Bamford headed for the Championship with one goal from 27 Premier League outings – yet 23 of those appearances came from off the bench.

Matters are now vastly different three years on with the 27-year-old striker starting every one of United’s first six games.

Six goals have followed yet Bamford says there have been no huge alterations to his game yet subtle changes that are clearly having the desired effect.

Speaking to LUTV earlier this month, Bamford was asked if he altered anything in his own personal training regime and reflected: “In terms of personal training not really.

“In a normal off season, I would like to have four or five weeks after a break, four or five weeks of working and building up to the season.

"But obviously with everything that happened it’s kind of difficult this time around.

“But in my head in terms of preparation for the game I’ve just thought to myself, do all the stuff that I need to do, do the stuff the manager wants me to do but try and stay in between the goal posts!

"Just try and be in between the goal posts because that’s where most of the goals are scored.

“I know that I am going to miss chances but the more time that I spend between the goal posts the more goals I am going to get.”

The striker’s first goal as part of his hat-trick at Villa was a case in point with the forward putting himself in the perfect place to net from close range after Rodrigo’s fierce strike was parried across the box by goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

The second and third strikes were rather more spectacular and the forward says he is also benefitting from Bielsa’s fine tuning of his players – as well as Premier League football suiting Leeds United’s style in general.

“A big thing since I came to Leeds is there is a lot more attention to fine detail,” said Bamford.

“Naturally I have always been quite tall and slim, no-one has ever really said he is overweight or he is a heavy kind of player. But as soon as I came here I had to lose one and half kg so it’s things like that.

“We always weigh in every day so you are always watching what you are eating, the nutrition is quite good so I think that aspect of it has obviously changed the way I look at things a lot.

“And then I think the fact that in the Premier League so far it has been one game a week rather than the hectic Championship period, I think that kind of helps with our intense style of play.

"So I think there’s been little things with the Premier League that actually suit us quite well.”

There has, though, says Bamford, in terms of his own game, also been a change from within with Leeds and Bamford now reaping the rewards in droves.

Bamford reasoned: “When I first played in the Prem when I was younger I had just had a good season in the Championship and I was probably a little bit over eager and maybe a little bit arrogant, thinking 'yeah I am ready for this'.

"I always believed that I was good enough to play. I don’t think maybe early on my attitude matched up with probably my ability and I think the attitude is more important actually.

“So this time around I have looked at is as though I have got a point to prove, I have got to work hard and still I have always had that self belief that I am good enough to do it at this level.

"Now I have just got to keep trying to prove it.”

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Thank you Laura Collins