- Patrick Bamford has claimed that a former team-mate used to smoke at half-time
- The Leeds striker added that the ex-Man City star would ‘hide in the showers’
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Leeds United forward Patrick Bamford has claimed that one of his old team-mates, a former Man City and Real Madrid star, once ‘hid in the showers’ at half-time during a game and ‘had a cigarette.’
Modern professional footballers are model atheletes, carefully monitoring their diet and exercise, with clubs hiring sports scientists to help maximise and improve the amount that players can perform on the pitch.
During his career, Bamford spent time with several clubs around the English football league, including Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Burnley. Speaking with comedian Joe Wilkinson on BBC Radio 5 Live, the Leeds forward recalled a memory of a former team-mate during an away day.
While on the books at Middlesbrough, Bamford played alongside Spain international Alvaro Negredo, who won the Premier League with Manchester City during the 2013-14 season.
The Spaniard would return 23 goals and eight assists in 49 appearances across all competitions for City during his time at the club.
Patrick Bamford recalled an annecdote about one of his former team-mates smoking at half-time during a game
Bamford also lumped praise on his ex-team-mate, who won the Premier League with Man City in 2014
And Bamford lauded the 38-year-old, who went on to join Boro on loan from Valencia in the summer of 2016, with Bamford arriving the club in January 2017.
‘Do you remember Alvaro Negredo? Unbelievable player,’ Bamford said.
‘His left foot was ridiculous,’ he added before recounting the annecdote.
‘But I remember one time, I don’t know whether it was in the cup, but it was in a small changing room.
‘And at half-time – he’d normally do it anyway – but he’d gone off and hid in the showers to have a cigarette.
‘Obviously in the small changing room, it’s just filtering straight back into the room.’
He claimed that Alvaro Negredo had once ‘hid in the showers to have a cigarette’
The Spaniard played for Man City for the 2013-14 season before he left to join Valencia
Bamford crossed paths with Negredo when the Leeds star joined Boro in January 2017
Negredo scored 10 goals in 39 appearances for Middlesbrough during his time at the club.
The centre-forward, who has been capped 21 times by the Spanish national side, currently plies his trade at Cadiz, having also enjoyed spells with Besiktas and Al-Nasr SC.
Back in 2015, Negredo opened up on his reasons for leaving Man City, claiming that manager Manuel Pellegrini had ‘lost faith in him‘.
