Once upon a time, Patrick Bamford was going to be the next great goalscoring hero at Stamford Bridge. He conquered the youth leagues and the lower leagues at swift, undeterred pace after joining from Nottingham Forest as an 18-year-old. He scored goals by the bucketloads for MK Dons, for Derby County, and for Middlesbrough. He was even named Championship Player of the Year a couple seasons ago.
Now, just a few days shy of his 23rd birthday, he's looking to restart his once promising career.
Patrick Bamford has today joined Burnley on loan until the end of the season...https://t.co/r46UFTVqIT pic.twitter.com/UbsRRCfXxE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 30, 2016
Bamford's progression, like that steeplechaser at the Olympics, hit a massive hurdle last season, with two failed Premier League loan spells of half-season each, first to Crystal Palace, then to Norwich City. He scraped together about 15 appearances across all competitions, going without a single goal for the first time in his professional career.
So now it's Burnley, which, on the plus side, represents another chance at the Premier League level, but also poses a few questions about just how Bamford will fit into a counter-attacking style that's not really his forte. Then again, based on Burnley's performance at Stamford Bridge, there's plenty of room for Bamford to stake a claim.
Good luck, Bamfordinho!