Ex-championship player of the year Patrick Bamford has quit his loan deal at Premier League Crystal Palace, according to reports in The Mirror.
Bamford, on loan from Chelsea, made only six appearances from the bench during his Palace loan, failing to score in those half dozen appearances. The 22-year old striker, seemingly disillusioned with his lack of opportunity to play, has returned to parent club Chelsea in a move that is sure to spark interest in a raft of Premier League and Championship clubs.
It was oh so different for Bamford when the young Chelsea striker was in the Championship last season and plundering both goals and awards for Middlesbrough, where he became a firm crowd favourite. His 17 goals, two assists and general all-round play at the Riverside, caught the eye to such an extent that he was awarded the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Year award last season, beating players such as Watford’s Troy Deeney and Ipswich’s Daryl Murphy in doing so.
Speaking of his disillusionment at not getting adequate game time, he played 119 minutes in his Premier League appearances, Bamford said, “That was my last game for Palace. If I were being honest, it has been terrible. No one wants to sit on the bench and not play.” Bamford then went on say that he’d made the decision without informing Palace manager Alan Pardew.
With the January transfer window about to open, there’s bound to be interest in his services from a number of Championship clubs including former club Middlesbrough.
