“When you’re not playing football, life feels a bit out of sync.”
It has been a frustrating couple of years for Patrick Bamford, culminating in a campaign where he managed just 17 Championship appearances last season, leading to his release from Leeds United after they were promoted back to the Premier League.
He ended up being a free agent for several months.
“Most mornings I’d be training from 8am until lunchtime, whether that was in the gym, on the pitch or on the track. That kept me busy,” Bamford, 32, tells Sky Sports.
“Outside of that, I played a bit of golf until it got cold and spent time with family. I was never at a loose end, but there was always that feeling of wanting to be back playing properly again.”
Patrick Bamford won the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month award for December
He trained with Coventry City, but wasn’t signed. Eventually, Sheffield United came calling. It was an unlikely move, considering the somewhat chequered history between the two parties.
It was only last April, after all, when the striker was filmed on social media leading a derogatory chant aimed at the Blades and boss Chris Wilder as Leeds celebrated promotion.
But a short-term contract was signed and, despite the lack of recent action, Bamford immediately thrived. Five Championship goals were scored across his first six starts.
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Patrick Bamford gave Sheffield United the lead against Wrexham with a wonderful piece of improvisation.
“It’s been really good,” Bamford says. “The fact it’s been such a smooth transition has helped a lot. As a striker, you rely heavily on your team-mates and the lads have been brilliant.
“I knew I was in a good place physically because of the work I’d done beforehand. Training for a couple of weeks with Coventry helped get me up to speed as well.
“There’s no substitute for games, but once I got a run of matches, I knew it would only take a couple to get match sharpness back, and that’s how it’s worked out.”
Bamford rejects the idea that the time off helped give him a new lease of life at the age of 32, but he definitely feels it slightly altered his perspective.
“I don’t know if the time off helped physically, but mentally I’m definitely enjoying it more,” he says. “Being back around it and feeling part of it again has given me that extra bounce.
“The biggest realisation for me was how much I missed playing football. Even without everything else, I realised I still really enjoyed it, which was important.
“Something just doesn’t feel right when you’re not playing. Once you’re back into the routine of games midweek and at weekends, you feel normal again. When you’re playing, you’re happy, and that feeds into everything else.”
Naturally, with good form and his past reputation, there was interest from elsewhere in January as his short-term deal headed towards expiry.
But he is now staying put, having signed an 18-month contract earlier in January. He feels he is in the right place to continue his footballing journey.
“Once I came in and settled so easily, it made sense,” Bamford says. “I was enjoying my football and liked the plans Chris had for the club and where he wanted it to be over the next 18 months.
“You play your best football when you’re happy and comfortable, and that’s how I felt here. It was a very easy decision.”