Bamford on

... PRIVATE SCHOOL

There was always that stigma because I went to private school. People assume I have never had to work for anything, which is total nonsense. They think everything comes easy to you and that you take everything for granted. There was this misconception that I’m a really posh guy. The truth is I’m not. My parents went without sometimes to provide for me and my sisters and that’s why it does anger me when people think it’s been handed to me and my family gets it easy when it’s not like that.

... ENGLAND

The idea of being selected for England is a dream. I thought about it before the last squad was announced and I didn’t sleep properly the night before because I was wondering whether it was going to happen or not. I am probably a bit down the pecking order but I just have to keep doing my thing. If I got one England cap in the whole of my career, I’d be over the moon with that and it would be something I’d cherish.

... HARVARD

The idea of going to play football at an American university was in case I didn’t get a professional contract with a club in England. The first university we got in touch with was in Connecticut and, once word got round, Harvard offered me a place. It sounds ridiculous to say Harvard was a back-up plan but, having dreamt of being a football player, there was never the priority to go to university.