Middlesbrough handed Leeds United a £7m promotion spearhead: View | OneFootball

Patrick Bamford has divided opinion among Leeds United fans ever since his £7m arrival from Middlesbrough in 2018.

Bamford was Leeds' talisman as they returned to the top-flight for the first time in 16 years in 2020, but injuries have meant he's struggled to replicate the form he showed in his first few years at the club.

Under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds took the Premier League by storm with Bamford netting 17 league goals en route to a remarkable ninth-placed finish.

Like many within Bielsa's high-energy, hard-pressing Leeds side, Bamford suffered from something of a burnout, though, and as injuries began to take their toll, the striker was never able to hit the same heights he'd achieved during those first two seasons under the Argentine.

Regardless of what the future holds, Bamford's contribution under Bielsa, firing them to the Premier League, will not be forgotten and his move from Middlesbrough was nothing short of a success despite his struggles in recent years.

A victim of Chelsea's extensive loan system under Roman Abramovich, Bamford played for a multitude of clubs during five years with the Blues but never managed to breakthrough to the first team, despite impressive spells at Middlesbrough,Derby and MK Dons.

Bamford would eventually move back to Middlesbrough on a permanent deal in 2017, scoring 11 Championship goals as the Teessiders made the play-offs.

This was enough to entice Leeds to move for Bamford, with the Whites paying £7m to bring the striker to Elland Road.

After a steady goal return in a debut season interrupted by injuries, Bamford burst into life the next year, repaying the faith shown in him by Bielsa and scoring 16 goals as Leeds cruised to promotion after the pandemic.

At the age of 27, Bamford had never been with a club for more than two seasons and as he approached his third year with Leeds as a Premier League striker, he took confidence from the trust shown in him, netting 17 goals as Bielsa's side shocked the Premier League.

Bamford was handed a solitary cap for England on the back of this.

Recurrent injuries stunt Bamford's progression

Bamford had always struggled with injuries, suffering a cruciate ligament injury during his debut campaign with Leeds.

But as the Whites began to lose momentum during their second season in the Premier League, Bamford's injuries took hold.

He started the first five games of the 2021-22 season before suffering an ankle injury that would keep him out for over two months.

He'd score on his return to the side against Brentford but would last just 22 minutes before suffering a serious hamstring injury that would keep him out for a further three months.

As Bamford continued to struggle to gain fitness, Leeds came to rely on Spanish forward Rodrigo, and with that, Bamford's influence slowly started to dwindle. A foot injury sidelined Bamford for a further two months, with the Englishman making just nine appearances in total during the 2021-22 season.

The 2020/21 season will likely remain a high point in Bamford's career, but so should the fact that he was the man to fire the Whites back to the Premier League. His reputation what the club will centre around that, and he will be remembered for the success he enjoyed under Bielsa.