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David Byrom

Leeds United star Patrick Bamford's key trait earns him Edinson Cavani comparison

Gary Neville has compared Patrick Bamford to Edinson Cavani due to their trait of running across the near post.

Cavani scored twice for Manchester United against Southampton as they came from behind to win 3-2 on Sunday, with both goals coming after the striker had produced a run across the near post.

Neville feels Cavani is the best in the world at the trait, which is something he says Sir Alex Ferguson was always keen to see his strikers do.

Yet, speaking on Sky Sports, Neville also said Leeds United striker Bamford is a player who can produce a similar run.

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He said: "Cavani is one of the best and has been for years - we played against him with England - at making that run in and around the near post.

"He does it all the time, he's always there making that movement across defenders.

"I'm not alerting something to the other clubs that they don't already know - his first touch in English football, he went across the near post, which he will do every single time.

"You know it's coming but whether you can stop it is still a problem."

He added "As the ball went wide at Southampton, you're just thinking Cavani is going to to the near post, and you can't believe Southampton haven't gone man-to-man to manage his run.

"As he runs in, he's one of the best at it. To be fair, Patrick Bamford does it very well but not at the same level, Cavani has been a different level for the last five or six years.

"You can tell teams that have got strikers that will do that. Sir Alex Ferguson used to say it all the time - the striker must get across the near post to take the first defender away that always likes to position himself there and also to affect the goalkeeper.

"Cavani is the best at it."

Cavani was namechecked as a potential Leeds target in the summer by chairman Andrea Radrizzani before Leeds' bitter rivals signed him on a free transfer.

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