“It only applies when they disagree with us.”
Patrick Bamford has received the support of Gary Lineker after he addressed online trolls who tell him to ‘stick to football.’
In an exclusive interview with JOE, the Leeds United striker spoke about his climate change activism, and addressed the backlash that inevitably follows from trolls who tell him to “stick to football.”
“It annoys me,” he said. “I saw on Twitter someone had a go at Gary Lineker for talking about politics, saying he should talk about football only.
“That’s nonsense. If everyone just spoke about their profession, one, life would be boring and two, we’d just never get anywhere.”
When asked about his own experience of such comments, Bamford said: “Sometimes I get fans saying, ‘Stick to football’. And I’m like, that’s so blind sighted.
“I can fully concentrate on football, whilst helping to make a change.”
Lineker then retweeted the video, adding: “Well said Patrick Bamford, but the ‘stick to football’ line only seems to be applied then they disagree with us.”
Well said @Patrick_Bamford, but the ‘stick to football’ line only seems to be applied when they disagree with us. https://t.co/ryJgi3y2DG
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 10, 2021
In the same interview, Bamford discussed his interest in climate change activism in detail, calling on big companies to do more to reduce their carbon footprint, and saying he is in the process of replacing his petrol car with an electric one.
The 27-year-old also discussed playing under Marcelo Bielsa, explaining how his famous ‘murderball’ exercise works, describing the revered coach as “meticulous, endearing and passionate.”
Watch the full interview on YouTube below.
Bamford is currently returning from an ankle injury, with Bielsa unsure on when he might return.
Leeds will be hoping to have their number 9 back as soon as possible, having endured a difficult run of form without him leading the line. They currently sit 15th on 11 points and face the tough challenge of taking on Antonio Conte’s Tottenham after the international break.
