Patrick Bamford talks that Chris Wilder chant, and reveals a deal with Coventry City was all but done before signing for Sheffield United.
Talking to the media, he reflected on going viral while at Leeds, leading a chant mocking his now-manager Chris Wilder after winning promotion.
He admitted it stemmed from “a few drinks,” then led to his mum’s panic and calling Wilder to say sorry. But to his surprise, Wilder responded graciously within 15 minutes, understanding the context from prior encounters.
Bamford also opened up on after leaving Leeds, saying he explored options fitting his career stage and family needs, but came close to a move with Coventry City, going “all but done” and training with the squad to the owner pulling out as the team was performing well.
‘I obviously had a few drinks. My mum was panicking saying why did you start that?’
Watch: Patrick Bamford talks about that chant about his now boss Chris Wilder when he was at Leeds. #sufc #lufc pic.twitter.com/z4K8fsyFHx
— Arif Ahmed (@ArifAhmedITV) November 21, 2025
🗣️ Patrick Bamford on his decision to join Sheffield United… and the time he apologised to Chris Wilder #SUFC
Listen to the full interview 👉 https://t.co/ifqKqKwHCM pic.twitter.com/nhmeM1Va32
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) November 21, 2025
Patrick Bamford on that chant: “Obviously when the video came out of the chant, it was one of them where I was I had obviously had a few drinks.
“And the next day when it came out I remember my mum was obviously panicking saying why have you started that and so I thought I should ring Chris and obviously try and clear the air a little bit.
“So I rang him I remember sitting there waiting for the phone to ring and waiting for him to answer thinking he’s going to absolutely have a right go at me and he didn’t.
“But he rang me back about I want to say 10-15 minutes later and honestly it was refreshing, he was so nice and he completely understood and he knew because a few years before we’d had a little bit then as well.
“So he had there was no hard feelings and after I’d kind of said look I’m sorry for starting it and he didn’t care about it and then we just had a chat about football for 20 minutes and it was nice.
“So then when he rang me on the Tuesday night I kind of knew what he was like and look there’s, in football, there’s I think it’s rare that you come across a manager who is as you see him like it’s straightforward straight open just he says it how it is but he’s honest and for me that’s super refreshing.”
‘After 20 minutes it was done.’
Watch: Patrick Bamford says a deal at Coventry was all but done before being taken away. And how quickly he got a deal done at Sheffield United. #sufc #pusb #skyblues pic.twitter.com/tDpA1UbkMT
— Arif Ahmed (@ArifAhmedITV) November 21, 2025
Patrick Bamford added that a deal at Coventry was all but done before being taken away. And was asked how quickly he got a deal done at Sheffield United: “I had quite a lot of options through the summer that either didn’t quite fit in terms of where I thought I was in my career and I wasn’t ready to move to certain places just yet. Obviously, I got a family to think about as well.
“Then the Coventry one came up and it was an interesting one and obviously I knew Frank from my time at Chelsea.
“And so I went down and I thought either way, training with the team is better than I’d obviously been working on every day with the guy that I work with, but it’s not the same.
“So training with the team is a lot better. So I went down there and obviously everything was pretty much done.
“And then the owner, which I have no hard feelings towards him whatsoever, completely fine. He decided that he didn’t want to do the deal, that the team was flying, which they are.
“So obviously I spoke to Frank, he apologised and just said like he was happy to have me in there.
“It’s a shame that it didn’t obviously go through, but I just said, I’m really grateful for you letting me train and obviously get my fitness up, which actually helped because then when I came in here, it’s obviously made it a lot easier, of hit in the ground, running almost in training.
“But yeah, when that kind of fell through, Chris rang me, I think it was on Tuesday night, spent 20 minutes on the phone with him and then came here Wednesday and within two hours it was done, so.
“It wasn’t like I needed much convincing. And obviously I have spoken to Chris before a few months back. So yeah, it wasn’t like very strange. So it was a good phone call.”
‘He was probably one of the best trainers but never got a look in for whatever reason’
Watch: Patrick Bamford on how he tried to help Joe Gelhardt as much as he could during their time together at Leeds. #lufc #hcafc pic.twitter.com/Sknsz3Rxbi
— Arif Ahmed (@ArifAhmedITV) November 21, 2025
Chris Wilder spoke of Patrick Bamford, per The Star: “He’s a lad that was available last season as well. There’s a lot of lazy journalism. I answered a question today regarding Pat and being out injured. Every player has an injury, every player has a couple of injuries.
“Pat’s appearance record is good. He was available for 37 games last season. It was only because Leeds United had top players at the top of the pitch [that he played fewer games]. Joel Piroe was on fire, leading goalscorer for them, and they were winning games, getting to 100 points. But Pat feels he’s still got a point to prove. I’ve talked to him, we’ve seen him train, talked to Frank, spoke to their medical staff.
“And it was pretty touch and go whether they took him [Coventry had Bamford join their training]. I think there was an argument that they might be having a bit of a go at it in January – and quite rightly so – and Pat thought that maybe he wouldn’t get the minutes that he wanted.
“He’s got to get in to our side, but he will do. And he’ll be a valuable contribution from an area of the pitch that we need and are missing.”
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