Frank Lampard has confirmed that free agent Patrick Bamford is training with Coventry City after the former Leeds United striker was spotted at the club’s Sky Blue Lodge training complex this week.
The 32-year-old forward, released by Leeds in the summer, is using the Championship leaders’ facilities to maintain fitness — but Lampard insists there are no plans to offer him a deal.
Former England Striker Is Training With Sky Blues
Coventry City fans were surprised when reports emerged that Patrick Bamford, a player once central to Leeds United’s promotion-winning side, was training under Frank Lampard. Having mutually terminated his Leeds contract after being told by Daniel Farke that he was no longer part of the club’s plans, Bamford has spent the past two months without a team.
NEW🚨: Patrick Bamford has been seen at Coventry City’s training ground as he searches for a new club.
The former Leeds striker has been a free agent since being released at the start of the season.
Would you take him #SBA ?
( Source : @mcgrathmike )#PUSB pic.twitter.com/x7f6iRifZE
— Coventry City Related (@CCFCSBA_) October 24, 2025
Rumours of potential moves have followed him across the summer. Both Celtic and several MLS clubs were linked, while reports in Spain suggested Getafe held preliminary talks. None materialised, leaving the striker searching for fitness and focus ahead of a possible return to competitive football.
Lampard addressed the speculation after Coventry’s 3-1 win over Watford, clarifying the situation in an interview with Coventry Live.
“Doing him a favour. I know Patrick well, he hasn’t got a club. He’s training with us. I’m very happy, he’s a good lad, Patrick. He’s very easy. I know the conclusions everyone’s going to get to but he’s just training.”
The Chelsea legend’s comments make clear that Bamford’s involvement is informal, rooted in professional respect rather than recruitment. Still, his presence at the club’s Ryton training base adds intrigue given Coventry’s strong start to the season and Lampard’s growing influence since his appointment.
Coventry City Flying – Premier League Beckons
Coventry currently sit top of the Championship and remain unbeaten, with Lampard forging an effective balance between youth and experience. The addition of a proven top-flight striker to training could prove beneficial to both parties: Bamford gains sharpness, and Coventry’s squad works alongside an established Premier League performer.
The streets will never forget Lockdown Patrick Bamford 🤍 #lufc pic.twitter.com/HOeB3k5NgD
— YBI (@YeboahBelieveIt) August 28, 2025
Bamford’s connection with Lampard stems from their shared Chelsea past, the striker having joined Stamford Bridge in 2012 before a string of EFL loans launched his senior career. Despite that link, his arrival has divided supporters given the history between Lampard and Leeds.
The 2019 “Spygate” episode still lingers in West Yorkshire folklore, when Lampard’s Derby County clashed with Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United amid claims of training-ground spying. Bamford later revealed that Bielsa and Lampard spoke privately at the time, a conversation he described as tense.
Now, years on, the pair are working together in a completely different context. Whether this leads to a short-term deal remains to be seen, though Lampard’s firm public stance suggests Bamford’s stay will be temporary.
For Bamford, whose injury setbacks blighted his final 2 seasons at Elland Road, the focus is on proving his fitness.
For Lampard, it’s a simple gesture of goodwill that reflects the manager’s wider reputation within the game.
If nothing else, Bamford’s reappearance on an EFL training pitch signals that the former England international is not ready to call time on his career just yet, and with January approaching, clubs in need of a seasoned striker will be watching closely.
