I don’t know why Biesla signed me, says Patrick Bamford

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has said he is unsure of what Argentine tactician Marcelo Biesla saw in him that made Biesla sign him to the Yorkshire club.

Bamford, 27, was a Chelsea player between 2012 and 2017 but spent all of the time on loan including Crystal Palace, Burnley and Norwich City, eventually joining Middlesborough after his contract expired.

A year later Biesla signed him to Leeds and Bamford is in the dark as to what El Loco saw in him. “Do you know what? He’s never told me why he signed me so I don’t know what he first saw in me,” he told BT Sports.

“I’ve taken to the things he’s asked me to do. I haven’t mastered all of them obviously but I’m learning step by step.

“It’s one of those things where it’s no good being a full-on target man or just a poacher. You have to be an all-round striker. He’s developed my game a long way since working with him.”

Bamford gained promotion with Leeds United to the Premier League at the second attempt and has scored double digits in league goals as Biesla has brought his attacking football to the league.

“I’m quite a laid-back character in general. Before I was never a hard-working striker, if you like, doing the tough yards, doing the pressing. But he instilled that in me,” he said.

“That showed me straight away that once I’d got the physical capacity for that, there was so much more that I could achieve.

“They’re a great group of lads at Leeds. I’ve said it before but there’s no big egos, everyone is always willing to learn, so that’s why everyone’s bought into his methods so well.”

Biesla is respected for being a tactical genius and inspired generations of Argentine coaches including Diego Simeone and Mauricio Pochettino.