Leeds star Patrick Bamford appears to score with his elbow and then uses it for his celebration against Rotherham… as visiting boss fumes at ‘blatant handball’ at Elland Road

Patrick Bamford scored in controversial fashion during Leeds‘ win over Rotherham, leaving the visiting boss fuming at a ‘blatant handball’ missed by officials. 

Bamford found the back of the net inside the opening 10 minutes of Leeds’ 3-0 victory on Saturday, before Crysencio Summerville scored a brace later in the game. 

However, there was much debate around Bamford’s strike after he appeared to use his elbow to help guide the ball into the Rotherham net. 

In the 10th minute of the game, full-back Junior Firpo whipped in a cross that Bamford helped direct into the net. 

However, replays that later appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, appeared to show the striker sticking out his elbow to push the ball in the goal. 

The striker then pumped his elbow in the air to celebrate the goal at Elland Road

Bamford, however, made sure there was no confusion as to what had happened as he wheeled away and used his elbow in celebration. 

The forward jumped in the air to rejoice at his goal, sticking his elbow out in a similar fashion to moments before, as he did so. 

Leeds’ official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, appeared to make light of the situation as they posted the goal with the caption: ‘They all count!’. 

However, Rotherham boss Leam Richardson was left fuming with the incident and insisted that officials missed a ‘clear’ handball. 

He said: ‘It’s a blatant handball. It’s a tough place to come to anyway and if you get decisions like that going against you then you’re up against it.

‘It should have been an easy decision for the referee to disallow it.

‘I thought we started the match terrifically well. We took the game to them. But then a big decision went against us and it was an uphill challenge from there.

‘Patrick’s [Bamford] admitted after the event that the ball has hit his arm. You expect those decisions to go with you when it’s as clear as that.’

Rotherham players protested with officials as Bamford celebrated his four league goal

Visiting boss Leam Richardson claimed that the officials had missed a ‘blatant handball’

Back in October, Bamford was labelled a ‘diving cheat’ by a commentator, after he appeared to dive in Leeds’ clash with QPR in an incident that saw keeper Asmir Begovic sent off for the visitors.

In the game, Bamford broke free and ran at Begovic, only for the Bosnian to lunge into a tackle and get himself sent off – but despite the striker dramatically hitting the deck, there was no contact. 

As such, QPR commentators were incensed at the England striker’s actions and wasted no time in making their real feelings known, shouting: ‘There’s no touch he’s a diving cheat!’

Seconds later as Bamford stood over the ball to take the free-kick in the 93rd minute which he had seemingly bought, the commentators continued their barrage: ‘Bamford the cheat will take the free-kick, left-footed from outside the box’.