Bamford keen to prove a point to Chelsea

Patrick Bamford hopes his performances for Derby will convince Chelsea not to splash out on another striker.

The on-loan Blues youngster has scored two goals in as many matches for the Rams, having previously netted 17 times in 30 appearances while on loan at MK Dons.

Signed from Nottingham Forest in January 2012, he is regarded as one of the country’s top attacking prospects.

And with Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku impressing while on loan at Everton, Bamford is keen to give his parent club food for thought as they plan for the future.

He said: “With a big club like Chelsea they can always buy players, but when you have players like me and Lukaku doing well, hopefully Chelsea will not feel the need to buy a striker.”

Bamford, 20, has yet to start a game for Derby, having twice scored after coming off the bench.

He was MK Dons’ star man but was warned when he arrived at Pride Park that he might have to bide his time to force his way into boss Steve McClaren’s side.

But he believes that is all part of the learning process – as is being asked to play in a right-sided role.

“I have to get used to challenging for my place,” he said.

“When I first went to Milton Keynes I played on the wing and now I’m playing there again. It’s a learning curve.

“When I’m on the wing my movement off the ball is one of my strong points and I’d like to think I’m a clever player.”

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