GARY O'Neil reflected on his brief spell as a teammate of Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford, describing him as an "intelligent footballer".

Despite failing to find the net for Jesse Marsch's men yet this term, Bamford is likely to play a key role when Leeds welcome Cherries to Elland Road on Saturday (3pm).

The 29-year-old came through the ranks at Nottingham Forest before being snapped up by Chelsea in 2012.

He remained on the books of the west London club for five years, but never made a competitive first-team appearance.

Instead, Bamford was sent out to six different clubs on loan, before completing a permanent move to Middlesbrough in 2017.

And it was during one of those loan spells he became a teammate of Cherries’ interim head coach O’Neil.

The pair played alongside each other on six occasions during the second half of the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, in the club’s unsuccessful attempt to avoid relegation under Alex Neil.

Bamford failed to find the net during his time in Norfolk, but the 29-year-old has gone on to become an England international, on the back of netting 17 goals during the 2020-21 Premier League campaign with Leeds.

Asked for his memories of the striker during the pair’s stint together at Carrow Road, O’Neil, 10 years Bamford’s senior, told the Daily Echo: “I was at Norwich with him for maybe six months I think.

“He always had real good movement.

“You could see why he scored goals. He was bright in and around the penalty area, managed to make late movements away from defenders, picks up nice little areas of space when there doesn’t seem to be too many.

“He’s an intelligent footballer, a good finisher. He’s a good player.”