Patrick Bamford 'Is Closest To Harry Kane England Have Got' And Should've Gone To Euro 2020

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has been named as 'England's closest forward to Harry Kane' and should've been included in their Euro 2020 squad.

Bamford ended this Premier League season with 17 goals but has failed to make a provisional 33-man squad named by Gareth Southgate.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins and Mason Greenwood have made it in but according to talkSPORT's Adrian Durham, Bamford would've been a better fit based on his style of play.

He said: "With Bamford not being in there, it's not just about the number of goals and assists - which are all positives of course.

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"It's that I think he's the closest to Harry Kane that we've got."

The 27-year-old managed to register eight assists this campaign as Marcelo Bielsa's side sealed a top-half finish.

Durham continued: "Some people may think that's a reason for him not to be in, but one of Bielsa's logics in football is that he says: 'There's no Plan B as we must keep working to make Plan A work.'

"England should have a Plan A which they should make work and stick to it. They keep getting better and better and better.

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"He's not similar to Ollie Watkins. Watkins and Calvert-Lewin can run the channels. They're different strikers so really Bamford was in competition with Greenwood and Kane."

"If it's 0-0 and there's 15 minutes left, do you chuck a big lump on and boot it up to them? It's what we've done over the years and it hasn't worked!"

"Why aren't we picking a player who's most like Harry Kane, in Patrick Bamford?"

Bamford's goal tally actually means he's the second-highest scoring Englishman in the league after Kane, who won the Golden Boot with 23 goals.

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In the last international break, Southgate said Bamford was "very close" to earning a call-up but ultimately opted for Watkins, who scored on his England debut.

Bamford could now turn his attention to representing Ireland at international level.

Eligible to play for Republic of Ireland through a grandparent, the former Chelsea man was capped once at Under 18 level in 2010 before going on to represent England at Under 18's, Under 19's and Under 21's.

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Previous Ireland managers Martin O'Neill and Mick McCarthy tried to convince him to play for Ireland but Bamford was always set on playing for his birth country.

Do you think Patrick Bamford deserved a place in England's Euro 2020 squad?

Let us know in the comments.

Topics: Football, England, Harry Kane, Patrick Bamford

Daniel Marland

Daniel is a journalist for SPORTbible and he has previous experience with Manchester United. He has spoken to some of the biggest names in sport including Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch, WWE COO Triple H and WWE legend The Undertaker. May or may not do a decent impression of Jamie Carragher.

@DanMarland_