Leeds United suffered greatly during their absence from the Premier League, and after their 16-year wait, they finally returned in 2020 under Marcelo Bielsa.
Patrick Bamford was an integral part of his side, scoring 16 Championship goals during their promotion and then 17 in the Premier League the season following.
It seemed like he would truly begin to kick on and announce himself as a fine striker for the division. However, injuries have prevented him from having the chance to prove that.
He managed just nine games in the league last year, and the Yorkshire side unsurprisingly suffered from it. They narrowly avoided relegation, and yet did not invest in another striker this summer.
It will therefore leave fans dreaming of some of the best finishers they have had in their illustrious history, and during their last stint in the Premier League, Robbie Fowler is one name that springs to mind.
Signed by the manager at the time David O’Leary in 2001, an £11m deal marked a large outlay for the time. However, he was brought in to replace the great Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
He was clearly enamoured with his new signing, as he claimed: “I have bought an outstanding goalscorer. Technically he is as good as anyone.”
Former England striker Franny Lee clearly agreed as he took to Twitter in 2012 to label him and Kevin Phillips “exceptional goalscorers”.
At a time when Jesse Marsch is desperate for a guaranteed source of goals, the English striker would offer just that – despite only playing 32 times at Elland Road, he did manage 14 goals and one assist.
However, it is his time at Liverpool where he was truly unstoppable. If this version of the forward was to be in the modern Leeds side, they would certainly be challenging way further up the table.
He scored 183 times in 369 games for the Reds.
Leeds have not looked completely toothless this season, as ten goals in seven goals represents a fair return. However, with the guaranteed goals a striker of this ilk would bring, it will leave fans wishing for his fairytale return.