“He doesn’t want anything to distract him, so we just left it.”
Mick McCarthy has said that Patrick Bamford wants to concentrate on his club career for the remainder of the season.
The Republic of Ireland manager said to the assembled media last week that Bamford told him he wants to play for the country. McCarthy also said that he hoped to meet him before the team travel to play Gibraltar on March 23.
However, he told reporters on Thursday in Dublin he will speak to the Leeds United striker again in the summer about potentially playing for Ireland.
Cyrus Christie, a Martin O'Neill favourite, is among those to be cut from the provisional squad https://t.co/PtXbE6sNS5
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 14, 2019
“I won’t be speaking to Patrick Bamford now, he wants to concentrate on his club career for the moment,” McCarthy said at the Aviva Stadium as he announced his final squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
“He’s back in the team, he’s scoring goals, Leeds are flying, and he doesn’t want anything to distract him, so we just left it.
“We just parked it and I’ll speak to him in the summer.
“He said that he’ll make himself available in the summer and that he just wants to concentrate on promotion with Leeds. I can understand that.
“He’s in the team and he’s scoring goals and Leeds want to get promoted. Things can upset you, I get it.
“(If) He comes to meet me about playing, all of a sudden he doesn’t score then he gets left out. Footballers can be sensitive to outside influences I get that.
“He could be in the Premier League with Leeds next season and he doesn’t want anything to disturb that.”
Mick McCarthy has said that Patrick Bamford wants to play for Ireland
"My last contact with him was on Saturday morning, they won on Friday night.
"I just congratulated him on his goals, and asked him if he still wanted to join us and he said, 'yes'.
"I'm pretty positive" pic.twitter.com/hJSPRB1LR2
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) March 7, 2019
Bamford has been linked with a switch to Ireland for several years. The 25-year-old represented the country at Under-18 level back in 2010 and has also played for England at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 level.
Leeds are currently second in the Championship with nine games to go and are on course for a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.
Bamford was signed from Middlesbrough last summer for a reported £7m, making him the club’s most expensive transfer since their days in the top flight. The former Chelsea striker has scored six goals in 13 games for the Elland Road club this campaign.
