Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford
was a surprise inclusion as the
England first-team were
photographed going through
their final preparations for
Saturday's game against Slovenia
and next Tuesday's game against
Scotland.
The highly rated 21-year-old was
pictured alongside manager Roy
Hodgson on the training field,
with Premier League stars Chris
Smalling, James Milner and
Jordan Henderson among others
in the back drop.
Patrick Bamford has been
training with Englands first-
team squad today ahead of
their game against Slovenia.
#CFC pic.twitter.com/
DLRWq3FsO3
ChelseaNet
(@ChelsNetwork) November
11, 2014
Bamford has scored 11
Championship goals in 2014 -
eight for Derby County and three
for Middlesbrough - and has
earned himself a reputation
among one of the country's best
up-and-coming strikers.
Last season, while on loan at
Derby County, Steve McClaren
repeatedly praised the young
striker and even commented on
Bamford's impressive work
ethic.
''He is a player, and a
goalscorer,'' said the former
England manager. ''But what has
impressed me is his work rate,
his discipline and the work he
does for the team."
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''It's like we always say to him,
his feedback is about if he was at
Chelsea, not here, so we demand
a lot from him. At the moment, he
is delivering."
''He has got that sense of a
striker where the ball seems to
fall at his feet and he puts it in
the net.''
Although he hasn't started as
strongly in the North East as he
did in the East Midlands, Aitor
Karanka has also sung the
praises of the striker and
expressed a desire to keep him
for the remainder of the season.
Like Nottingham Forest defender
Jamaal Lascelles, who has also
previously trained with the
England first-team despite being
an England under-21 player, the
training session will have been
more about getting the player
experience with playing with the
country's very best.
Bamford will be eager to impress
during the international break
and will surely have his eyes on
earning a first start under
manager Gareth Southgate.