Bamford says ex-Man City and Real star team-mate 'hid in shower and smoked'
Leeds forward Patrick Bamford has revealed that ex-Middlesbrough team-mate Alvaro Negredo "hid in the showers" at half-time during a game and "had a cigarette."
Negredo, who noted Real Madrid, Manchester City and Sevilla among his former employers, joined Boro on a season-long loan after their promotion to the Premier League in July 2016. Six months later, Bamford followed the Spaniard to the Riverside Stadium as he signed on a permanent deal from Chelsea.
And in their short time together at Boro, Bamford has recalled when Negredo decided to smoke a cigarette at half-time during an away match. "Do you remember Alvaro Negredo? Unbelievable player," Bamford told Joe Wilkinson on BBC Radio 5 Live. "His left foot was ridiculous.
"But I remember one time, I don't know whether it was in the cup, but it was in a small changing room. And at half-time - he'd normally do it anyway - but he'd gone off and hid in the showers to have a cigarette. Obviously in the small changing room, it's just filtering straight back into the room."
Negredo finished the campaign as Boro's top scorer on nine goals in 36 appearances, though that wasn't enough to keep the club in the Premier League. The 38-year-old, who netted 23 times in 48 matches during one season at City, signed for Besiktas in August 2017 on a three-year deal.
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He spent 12 months at the Turkish club, before leaving upon the mutual termination of his contract. Negredo later cited the club's financial struggles as the reason behind the termination. Having then spent two years at United Arab Emirates side Al-Nasr, Negredo returned his homeland to sign for Cadiz in 2020.
Alvaro Negredo during his time at Middlesbrough (Getty Images)Despite turning 38 last August, Negredo is still plying his trade in La Liga and has scored 20 times in 102 appearances since returning to Spain. However, he has failed to score for Cadiz so far this season and has less than six months remaining on his current deal.
As for Bamford, he returned to the starting XI and the scoresheet as Leeds dispatched Birmingham 3-0 on New Year's Day. The ex-Derby and Burnley frontman starred for the Whites as Daniel Farke opted with Bamford instead of Joel Piroe, with the latter dropping down to the bench.
Speaking on Bamford in his post-Birmingham press conference, Farke said: "I'm really happy and delighted for Bamford. He's had a really difficult time.
"He had a really good pre-season and was on edge to start the first game. But the long-term injury was eight weeks out. A striker needs goals for confidence, but I had a good feeling today.
"He paid my trust back with a solid performance and a goal. It's important for Patrick. We need him in his best shape. We need a player like him."
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