Leeds United winger Jack Harrison has heaped praise on striker Patrick Bamford and said his composure in front of goal is a “special ability of his” after his performance against Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

The 25-year-old scored twice as Leeds beat the Latics 2-0 at the DW Stadium.

Wigan went down to 10-men after Joe Williams was shown a red card early on and goals from Bamford either side of the break helped Marcelo Bielsa’s men to take advantage and leave the North West with three points.

The Whites striker has been criticised for his performances already this season and pressure was on him after Eddie Nketiah scored on debut in midweek.

Bamford responded well and, speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post after the game, Harrison praised his ability to deal with criticism and to stay calm in front of goal.

He said: "He’s not really a striker that lets things get to him, I always admire that about him.

"He just carries on in the game no matter what happens. I think he can only continue scoring from here.

"You see his potential and his goalscoring ability, so hopefully, he gets a few more for us this season.

"He’s always calm and collected in front of goal and I think that’s a special ability of his, just to finish when the chance was there.”

Leeds welcome Brentford and ex-Whites defender Pontus Jansson to Elland Road in the Championship on Wednesday.

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Verdict

Bamford certainly has his doubters but he has made a strong start to the season and is the league’s joint-top scorer with three goals from three games.

With Nketiah having joined on loan from Arsenal and reports suggesting Leeds could face penalty payments if he does not play regularly, it will be interesting to see how Bielsa rotates the two strikers if Bamford keeps finding the net.

If the Argentine coach can manage the duo well, Leeds could be in a really promising position with two strikers firing at the same time.