Bamford was key to Leeds earning a ninth-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League, spearheading the Whites attack with 17 goals and eight assists.
The 27-year-old has already opened his account in the current top flight campaign and having recently signed a new deal at Elland Road was welcomed with further good news when he earned his first call-up to the England national team.
Former Leeds hitman Beckford is delighted for the newly minted Three Lion and lauded him for being the ultimate team player, acknowledging his high work rate on the pitch for Leeds over the years.
Beckford explained that Bamford being the workhorse that he is offers his team-mates more freedom to express themselves on the pitch, in addition to scoring goals for Leeds.
“Just seeing him [Bamford] coming off the football pitch at the end of the games and having conversations with him or listening to him doing an interview after the game, you could see he is physically drained and having next to nothing left in the tank”, Beckford said on the Official Leeds United Podcast.
“That is how much he actually puts into his performances at Leeds United whether it is at home or on the road.
“He is brilliant and the new contract, it is well, well overdue and is well deserved because he offers us so much more than just the 17 or so goals, he scored last season and the goal he scored against Burnley.
“He offers the rest of the players the freedom to express themselves and to get forward and create so many more opportunities and spaces for the likes of Jack Harrison on one side and Raphinha, then [Daniel] James, he is going to experience that as well.
“He is the ultimate team player.”
England are set to face Hungary, Andorra and Poland in World Cup qualifiers and Bamford will be hoping to make his debut.
