Leeds striker Patrick Bamford has revealed he “felt rusty a hell” despite scoring a last-gasp equaliser against Brentford on his return from injury.
The England international has been out of action since September due to an ankle problem, with his time on the sidelines not expected to last as long as it did.
He missed nine Premier League matches for the Whites, but has returned in time for the congested winter period.
Wolves and a breathtaking but heartbreaking defensive display
And on his first match back, Bamford scored a huge goal for Leeds against Brentford, netting in the 95th minute of the match to snatch a 2-2 draw for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
“I felt rusty as hell, but it was nice to be out there,” he told Sky Sports. “I always felt when I came on that I was going to get one chance. It didn’t come for ages and ages and then (Adam) Forshaw said I was going to get one chance and so it happened.
Bamford is back! pic.twitter.com/YGuG2AUCke
— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 5, 2021
“An ankle injury can drag on so it has been frustrating. There is no specific timescale [for a return], I’ve been setting my return for about the last six matches.
“Now that I’m over it, it feels like it has gone fast. Sometimes when you are out through injury, you become a better player because people big you up like a hero. If I hadn’t scored people would have said: ‘He’s not fit, he’s not ready’.”
When asked what Bielsa told him when he came on: “It was just to try and make a presence in the area, don’t drop too deep and do what I can, really. I just tried to stay in the box and hoped to get in the right position eventually.”
Elsewhere, Jamaal Lascelles has told Newcastle their season starts now after admitting they have not been good enough to date.
The 28-year-old Magpies skipper marshalled a concerted defensive display as Eddie Howe’s men finally secured their first Premier League victory of the campaign at the 15th attempt against Burnley on Saturday to rekindle their survival hopes.
He told the club’s official website: “Even now, it’s just such a relief. We are a group of winners and we expect so much of each other, and we’ve been going through a real hard time.
“Our season starts now. We know we’ve been miles off it, we haven’t been good enough. As a group of players, our season starts now.”
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