Bamford delays talk of being the latest switch hit

PATRICK BAMFORD has put his international plans on hold to focus on firing Leeds to the Premier League.

The Grantham-born striker had been in talks with Mick McCarthy about switching his allegiances to Ireland in time to play for them this summer.

But the former Middlesbrough star, 25, has put talks on ice while he focuses on this season’s run-in.

Bamford played once at Under-18s level for Ireland before representing England Under-18s, 19s and 21s but he has not made a senior appearance, meaning he is still eligible to represent a country for which he qualifies through his grandparents.

After a text message exchange earlier this month, McCarthy had hoped to get Bamford’s registration transferred in time for him to be available to play for Ireland in June against Denmark and Gibraltar – but it will now be September at least before he pulls on a green shirt.

McCarthy said: “I haven’t met up with him and I won’t be.

“He is concentrating on playing in the league and seeing how that goes. So I won’t be meeting up with him, not yet, maybe in the summer.

“I am disappointed because I think he is a really good striker and he will score goals for us. But I do understand it, he has been out for a long time and Leeds look like they are going to get promoted and he doesn’t want anything else going on in his head.

“He is not reconsidering, he’s in, he’s scoring, he’s playing and he just wants to focus on that.”