Former Leeds United and England international Patrick Bamford has joined fellow Yorkshire club Sheffield United on a short-term deal.
The 32-year-old has been a free agent since departing Elland Road in the summer.
Patrick Bamford is a Blade ⚡️
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) November 13, 2025
A Career Across The EFL
Patrick Bamford has forged a reliable career in the English Football League, defined by steady scoring and versatility across levels. The 32-year-old striker, now signing a short-term deal with Sheffield United until January, started at Nottingham Forest, debuting in the Championship in 2011. A £1.5 million transfer to Chelsea in 2012 led to multiple loans, where he thrived in the EFL.
At Middlesbrough in the Championship in 2014-15, he netted 19 goals in 44 games, making him the club’s top goalscorer that season.
Additional loans included Crystal Palace in the Premier League with 0 goals in 9 outings, Burnley with 0 in 7 outings during 2016-17, and a second Middlesbrough spell with 14 over 2 seasons. His major impact came at Leeds United after a £7 million move in 2018. Under Marcelo Bielsa, Bamford scored 16 goals in 47 matches to win the 2019-20 Championship title, earning an England cap in 2021.
In the Premier League, he struck 17 times in 2020-21, but injuries curtailed his form. Across 7 years at Leeds, he tallied 60 goals in 205 appearances, including a tough relegation season in 2023-24.
Released by mutual consent in August, he trained with Coventry City before joining Sheffield United.
What Bamford Brings To Bramall Lane
Despite past public criticism from Chris Wilder, Patrick Bamford’s relationship with the Sheffield United manager remains solid, paving the way for this reunion. Wilder has questioned Bamford’s resilience during Leeds’ downturns, yet both have expressed mutual respect.
Bamford is said to admire Wilder’s clarity and promotion record, while his new boss views him as a proven Championship finisher with the drive to continue to prove doubters wrong.
Speaking after Leeds promotion and celebrations, in response to Bamford, Wilder said:
“Had a conversation with Pat yesterday and I’ve no issue at all with it,”
“I’m not sure about the words used from a fellow pro! But I appreciated and respected him for giving me a call.”
“We had 20 minutes and the same again I spoke to Daniel [Farke] as well yesterday and had a half-hour chat with him and he is a super guy, a top guy.”
“They are a top team and a top football club and like I said I’m a big boy. When I was playing we used to give it and take it and that’s part and parcel of the game at every level, even on a Sunday morning.”
“I have absolutely no issue. I am cool with it and I said that to Pat.”
Sheffield United occupy 22nd in the Championship after 15 matches, holding 10 points, in the dreaded drop zone. A 0-0 draw with Queens Park Rangers on Saturday highlighted bluntness in attack, with just 18 goals scored, among the lowest in the top half. Wilder’s team controls possession but struggles to convert, leaning on players such as Callum O’Hare and Tyrese Campbell as their main threats.
Bamford arrives with 91 Championship goals, including 43 in 89 for Leeds. His intelligent movement, hold-up play, and aerial ability suit Wilder’s pressing, high-tempo approach.
The signing reunites Bamford with Ben Davies from Leeds days, fostering instant chemistry. At 32, fully fit after consistent training, he provides immediate firepower with scope for a longer stay. Wilder demands results now. In a side craving for their season to ignite, his experience could start a hopeful playoff push and silence the noise.
