Striker Patrick Bamford hoping new generation of Australians will follow Leeds United

Plenty of English sides are ahead of Leeds United in the popularity stakes in Australia but striker Patrick Bamford hopes his team’s prescence here can attract some new fans to the famous club.

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Striker Patrick Bamford is on a mission to commit a whole new generation of Australian fans to a lifelong love affair with Leeds United at Bankwest Stadium tomorrow night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side arrived in Sydney last night looking to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat at the hands of old rivals Manchester United in Perth.

The days of Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka strutting their stuff at Elland Road are long gone and it’s now 15 years since Leeds graced the top flight of English football.

As Leeds went into rapid decline in the early 2000s, they became an altogether less appealing prospect for Australian youngsters looking to embrace an English side. The red of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool prospered while the blue of Chelsea and Manchester City also became more visible Down Under. A clear case of out of sight, out of mind.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has a shot blocked by Manchester United’s Eric Bailly on Wednesday night. Picture: Getty Images

But Bamford wants to play his part in changing that. There’s also the chance of creating history by scoring the first ever goal at Bankwest Stadium.

While the Wanderers fans will be out in force, estimates point to around 7,000 Leeds fans attending the game and they’ve vowed to make a racket ‘off the Richter scale’.

And for the United number nine, it’s a chance to bank more valuable game time ahead of a campaign all at Elland Road hope will end with the promotion that slipped agonisingly from the club’s grasp last season with the finishing line in sight.

Bamford told The Daily Telegraph: “One of the things about being a footballer is you have to be able to deal with failure and defeat quickly.

Leeds stars Kemar Roofe (left) and Patrick Bamford after Wednesday night’s match against Manchester United in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

“We’ve set the benchmark but we’ve just got to see it through. It’s at the back of your mind (missing out in the playoffs to Derby County) but we have to start afresh.”

But before the quest for Championship points, there’s the small matter of winning hearts and minds Down Under.

“Sometimes clubs go away on pre-season tours to places where people don’t watch that team throughout the season but then when they get to see them they end up following them and sticking with them,” he said.

“And yes it’d be nice (to score the first score goal in the new stadium).”

As for the noise from the travelling fans?

“It’ll be one of the things that sticks with them (fans attending their first Leeds game) for sure,” Bamford said.

The man in charge of Leeds is former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa.

“It’s like anything, if you put a lot of time into something, you can becomes a master of what you’re doing,” Bamford said. “He spends an incredible amount of time studying the games, studying different matches from all over the world. He can see what works and doesn’t work. He’s very meticulous and sets high standards. He’s always pushing us further every day.”