Patrick Bamford’s covered ears against Millwall became the stick his Leeds United critics would beat him with during his subsequent seven-match drought.
United’s number nine had just nailed his brace and the win over Millwall at Elland Road in late January, ending a five-match dry spell and four-match winless run.
For all the swagger and confidence it oozed, Bamford went on to miss the target across the next seven games before finally notching in the Whites’ Huddersfield Town win last month.
The detractors were keen to point out a confident celebration is all well and good if you can back it up. Bamford set the record straight on that gesture this week.
As with the likes of Adam Forshaw during last year’s Take Us Home documentary, Bamford underlined the problem is Twitter and the vocal minority who forget he is human and has feelings.
“Since I’ve come to Leeds there’s always been a lot of pressure being the number nine and I love that pressure, I do like it,” he said.
“There’s only ever been one time where I’ve had a query with the fans in the stadium and that was away at Preston last year.
“I remember I did that (cups his ear) to them when I scored.
“In the stadium the fans are brilliant and 95 per cent of all Leeds fans are brilliant, the way they support the players and back them to the hilt.
“Brilliant, but then you get some of those on Twitter, who forget you’re human sometimes, forget you’ve got a life outside of football.
“To me, that celebration was ‘say what you want, I’m not listening to you guys’. It wasn’t really planned. It was in the back of my mind and then when I scored it just came out.”
As with the rest of Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, Bamford is currently self-isolating with his partner and dog, carrying out the training programmes he is sent on a nightly basis.
You may well see Bamford pounding the streets of East Keswick or Bardsey, north-east of Leeds, but not at Thorp Arch where some of his team-mates are retreating for their runs.
Overseen by head of medicine and performance Rob Price, some members of the squad are heading back to the training ground in order to use the purpose-built track there.
Bamford sees it as an unnecessary risk.
“I’m quite happy sticking around here. I’m not taking any unnecessary risks,” he said.
“For instance, I could be someone who’s got it (coronavirus), doesn’t know about it, pass it to someone else and then they’ve got kids. Something daft like that.
“I’m quite happy here. I’ve got Michaela, I’ve got the dog, run with the dog, it’s not a problem for me keeping myself occupied.”
