Nottingham Forest sold him to Chelsea after just 12 minutes - he ended up playing for England | OneFootball

The forward had an unlikely start to is carrer but went on to enjoy success at the highest level.

While some players burst onto the scene at a young age, others must wait for their opportunity. Patrick Bamford, however, needed just minutes before securing a move to one of the biggest clubs in European football.

In the 2011/12 season, Nottingham Forest were labouring in the Championship and heading into the New Year, the club had only managed seven points from their previous 10 matches.

Steve Cotterill was the manager at the time, appointed to clear up the mess left after Steve McClaren's spell, but had seen little change in terms of form.

Clearly, Cotterill would try anything and on New Year's Eve handed a debut to a teenage prospect who had been with the Tricky Trees since age eight; the rest is history.

How teenage Patrick Bamford went from Nottingham Forest to Chelsea

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As Forest were heading to yet another defeat, this time at the hands of Cardiff City, Cotterill rolled the dice and thrust on teenage Patrick Bamford for Matt Derbyshire for an 11-minute cameo.

Unfortunately for the Tricky Trees, the forward's introduction did not change the scoreline, and when Bamford came on against Ipswich Town in the following match, it seemed that the Englishman could become a regular feature for the struggling side.

However, after just 12 minutes of action for the East Midlands club, the 18-year-old was snapped up by Premier League runners-up Chelsea for £1.5million in the January transfer window.

Indeed, it was a notable window for the Blues as Bamford arrived at Stamford Bridge alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Gary Cahill and Lucas Piazon as the West Londoners targeted youth.

"I'm disappointed I'm not going to see Patrick develop in a Nottingham Forest shirt over the next two years," Forest chairman Frank Clark told BBC Radio Nottingham.

How Bamford forged career in the EFL

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Breaking through at Chelsea was always going to be a challenge, and Bamford had to develop in the reserves and youth teams, while loans at Derby County, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Norwich City offered him first-team football.

Frustratingly for the forward, he never made a senior appearance for the Blues and signed permanently for the Teessiders for £5.5m in the summer of 2016.

Indeed, that move made sense as Bamford had notched 19 goals and seven assists during his season-long loan with Boro in the 14/15 campaign, the best numbers of his career, and it would be in the Championship where he would develop his trade.

While the Englishman produced encouraging numbers during his 18 months at the Riverside Stadium, Tony Pulis was willing to part with him, and he then signed for Leeds United in the summer of 2018, where he really took off.

Sometimes things just click. Maybe it was the relationship with Marcelo Bielsa, or maybe the style of football, as he was more than just a striker. His link-up play was one of his strengths, and as the modern-day striker adapted, it suited Bamford's natural game.

Despite suffering a cruciate ligament injury and further knee problems, the Grantham-born hitman managed nine goals in his first season before totalling 16 in the 19/20 Championship campaign as Leeds won promotion.

The biggest question mark hanging over Bamford was whether he could cut it in the Premier League, and after 17 goals and nine assists in a single season, there could be no more doubt as he earned his sole England cap against Andorra in 2021.

An unlikely turn of events takes Bamford to Sheffield United

After Bamford's Leeds career fizzled out, the forward was left without a club for three months until Sheffield United offered him an opportunity.

What made the move so surprising was the fact that just months earlier, Bamford was filmed leading a chant at Chris Wilder after the Peacocks secured promotion to the Premier League, with the Blades settling for the play-offs.

Wilder had called Bamford and his teammates muppets years earlier when the roles were reversed, but in the end it was water under the bridge as the pair exchanged a phone call and admitted it was just a part of football.

The 33-year-old did his talking on the pitch, bagging 12 goals in his first season, and although it was a campaign of disappointment for the Blades, he certainly made his mark.

While the club are enduring something of a sticky patch, Bamford has remained an important part of the team and will be needed by Wilder if the club are to improve. His experience, on the back of an interesting career that had a rapid start, is the key.