By James Andrew for MailOnline
Published: 23:33 GMT, 16 March 2019 | Updated: 23:33 GMT, 16 March 2019
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Patrick Bamford has put his international career on hold to focus on firing Leeds back to the Premier League.
The English-born striker had been in talks with Mick McCarthy about switching his allegiances to Ireland in time to play for them this summer.
But the 25-year-old has put talks on ice while he focuses on Marcelo Bielsa's side's promotion push.
Patrick Bamford has put his international career on hold to focus on club football
Bamford played once at U18 level for Ireland, but then went on to play for England U18, U19, and U21 but has not made a senior appearance, meaning he is still eligible to represent a country for which he qualifies through his maternal grandparents.
Bamford - a £7million signing from Middlesbrough - has scored four goals in his last five games and helped the Whites to second in the Championship and is someone McCarthy admires greatly.
Bamford's delay comes as a blow to McCarthy who is desperately searching for a goalscorer and has turned to Luton striker James Collins for his squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
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