Patrick Bamford left Leeds United under strained circumstances in the summer after his contract was terminated, but the forward has since rediscovered his form under Chris Wilder at Sheffield United.
The 32-year-old arrived at the Championship club on a short-term deal in November and has made an instant impression at Bramall Lane, scoring five goals in 10 league appearances.
He has sorted his future out by signing an extension with Sheffield United. However, he still has his eyes on his former club and the progress of his former teammate, Harry Gray.
The 17-year-old striker joined Rotherham United on loan last week, and Bamford has provided more insight on the move as it appears he was contacted by the teenager before agreeing to the move.
Patrick Bamford reveals Harry Gray contacted him before leaving Leeds United
The former Leeds striker was in the team when Gray was promoted to the first team, and he admitted that he tried to help the youngster as much as possible.
He revealed that, ahead of joining Rotherham, the young forward contacted him, and Bamford admitted that he provided a detailed insight on the pros and cons of the move to Gray.
Bamford conceded that it felt nice that the young forward sought his advice and believes he now needs to play regular senior football to further develop.
Bamford told EFL journalist Justin Allen during an interview: “Going back to Leeds, Harry Gray, when he first came up, I tried to help him as much as I could.
“He actually texted me the other day, before he went out on loan, asking for my thoughts, and I literally went half an hour going through the options on the negatives and positives, and sent my thoughts.
“It’s nice to be asked for things as well, that he leaned on me for some advice, was almost like an ego-boost and that my opinion counts.
“The best thing for him is playing men’s football.”
Leeds need the loan to work out for Gray
Harry Gray played the full 90 minutes in Rotherham United’s 3-2 defeat against Stockport on Saturday. He failed to score or provide an assist, but it was a valuable experience for him.
Leeds fans are unsure about the club’s decision to loan out the young striker to a struggling League One side with average attacking metrics.
However, it appears that the striker pushed for the move, and Leeds were happy for him to join the team on loan for the rest of the season.
It seems certain that the young striker was left frustrated at not getting an opportunity to play senior football this season after making his debut towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Leeds need the loan to work out, as Gray has other top suitors and could easily leave the club on a permanent deal if he feels his development is getting stifled at Elland Road.
