Prem star with one England cap has contract ripped up after seven years

PATRICK BAMFORD has reached a mutual agreement with Leeds United to have his contract terminated.

The one-cap England striker, 31, has left Elland Road having fallen out of favour with boss Daniel Farke.

3 Patrick Bamford played more than 200 times for Leeds Credit: Getty

3 Bamford, 31, won his second Championship title with the Whites last season Credit: Getty

Bamford spent seven years at Leeds and helped them win two Championship titles.

The former Chelsea starlet scored 60 goals in 205 appearances for the Whites, including 17 Premier League strikes during the 2020-21 season.

Upon Bamford's exit, Leeds posted an emotional tribute video for their former No9.

The 96-second compilation features a poignant interview clip from after Leeds sealed promotion in 2020, in addition to plenty of goals and some of Bamford's work in the community.

Leeds also posted a lengthy tribute to Bamford on their website, which concluded: "His determination and fight on the pitch was matched by his professionalism and dedication to the surrounding community away from it.

"Patrick’s commitment to supporting important campaigns and causes whilst also engaging with fans in need across our region saw him regularly attending Foundation events, as well as arranging his own under-the-radar personable moments away from the public eye.

"There has never been any doubt in Patrick’s enthusiasm in representing Leeds United and his understanding of respecting our famous club badge.

"He has given everything to the cause and is welcome back at Elland Road, any time.

"Thank you Patrick and good luck in your next steps, you are forever a double champion and will remain a proud part of our history."

Having previously been a key man at Elland Road, Bamford was plagued by injuries during the latter half of his Leeds career.

The forward was limited to 17 Championship appearances last season, and did not start a single match.

Boss Farke last month told Bamford that he had no Leeds future.

The German, 48, said at the time: "I had a really open and honest conversation with Patrick, which was important.

"He knows how much I rate him as a player and I would have preferred a fit Patrick Bamford for the last two seasons.

"But he is a player who needs to be the main man. He needs an arm round the shoulder after some difficult seasons. I was not willing to tell him he was the main man at Premier League level.

"In the second day of pre-season, I got him into my office and told him he is not in my plans for the upcoming season.

"It would have been easy for me to hide behind the sporting director or wait until we got someone else in, but he has done so much for this club, he deserves respect and transparency."

Bamford earned his sole England cap in September 2021.

The forward played 62 minutes of a 4-0 win over Andorra at Wembley.

Bamford's experience may be attractive to several Championship clubs, with the experienced ace having netted 69 goals in the second tier during his career.

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