England manager Gareth Southgate is reportedly set to hand Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford his first start for his country.
Any lingering doubts over Bamford’s capability to compete in the Premier League have now disappeared. His 17-goal return last season proved his doubters wrong emphatically.
The 27-year-old was overlooked by Southgate in the build-up to the Euro 2020 tournament, despite his good form, but was called up for the first time for the first international break of the new season.
England defeated Hungary away from home on Thursday night, a fixture that Bamford played no part in. However, he is set to be handed a start against Andorra on Sunday.
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That’s according to the Daily Mail, who suggest that Southgate will use the fixture as an opportunity to rotate and experiment. Andorra, all due respect, are not the strongest of opposition.
The competition for a striker spot in the England squad is considerable, with the likes of Danny Ings and Tammy Abraham having been left out. Bamford will be hoping to make an impression.
While there’s only so much we can learn from a tussle with a team like Andorra, if Bamford manages to get on the scoresheet in his first appearance for his country, it will do him no harm at all.
England take on Andorra at 5pm BST on Sunday evening. It will be the first time the Three Lions have played on their home turf since suffering defeat in the Euro 2020 final.