Report card | Ethan Ampadu
Is the Chelsea man Wales’ great hope?
The story so far
At just 18 years of age, Ethan Ampadu already has great stature in British football. A graduate at Exeter City, Ampadu became the youngest player to appear for the club’s first team at just 15 years of age.
The son of former-Ireland international Kwame Ampadu, Ethan earned a move to Chelsea in July 2017, making his debut two months later in the League Cup.
In the November, Ampadu made his international debut for Wales, coming off the bench in a friendly against France in what was a momentous moment in Welsh football history. Ampadu entered the field alongside Ben Woodburn and David Brooks, a trident that many see as the future of Welsh football.
One month later, in the December, the now international made his league debut for the Blue and continued to earn rave reviews inside the Chelsea camp.
Style
Equally adept at centre-halve and in the centre of midfield, Ampadu is an all-rounder with a lot going for him. He is strong and composed, despite his young age, and is already bossing the game in midfield for Wales.
One of the Welshman’s biggest strengths is on the ball, with an excellent range of passing. While in midfield, he uses this to dictate the play, it will be interesting to see how he can use this trait to kick-start attacks from deep.
Headlines
While Ampadu made immense progress in 2017–18 under Antonio Conte, his playing time has been restricted under new club manager Maurizio Sarri.
On the international stage, though, Ampadu has been a key feature for new Ryan Giggs. In the new manager’s first competitive match, Ampadu was handed a starting role in central midfield alongside Joe Allen.
All eyes were on the then 17-year-old, who made Wales tick and completely bossed the midfield battle. Ampadu set up the third Wales goal for Aaron Ramsey and was crucial in every facet of the game. He was awarded the man of the match award and really announced himself on the international stage.
Best case
To establish himself in the Chelsea first team. Ampadu showed signs of breaking into Antonio Conte’s plans last season, but game time has been hard to come by under new boss Sarri. The arrivals of Jorginho and Matteo Kovacic haven’t helped and there’s an abundance of experienced midfielders in the Chelsea squad.
Ampadu is a talented player and if he can continue to impress in training among these experienced pro’s and gain vital minutes in the cup competitions, then it’ll be another promising season for the former-Exeter man.
Worst case
With Jorginho, Fabregas, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Drinkwater, Barkley and Kante all ahead of Ampadu in the pecking order, game time may be hard to come by, even in the cup competitions.
The worst case for Ampadu is a loan to gain experience of first-team football. At 18, it wouldn’t be a travesty and could even aid Ampadu’s development, but the Welshman will be hoping to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.
Marketability
There’s no major deals reported for Ampadu, but it seems as though he has a boot deal with Nike. How marketable is Ampadu? Quite.
In Wales, Ampadu is already seen as a bit of a cult figure, with his trademark dreadlocks recognisable all over the pitch. You can picture marketing campaigns with Ampadu branding splattered all over it, perhaps a silhouette of his dreads.
Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are the major Welsh sportsmen at the moment, but there’s a gap to follow them up and Ampadu is perhaps best prepped to step into their shoes.
What’s next?
With Fabregas over 30, Kovacic only on loan, and Loftus-Cheek, Drinkwater and Barkley all seeking regular football, opportunities could present themselves sooner rather than later for Ampadu.
By 2020, I’d expect him to establish himself for Wales and Chelsea as the foundation for the future — he really is that good.
In the meantime, Ampadu must take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, whether that is at Stamford Bridge or out on loan. On things for sure, you’ll be seeing Ampadu’s trademark dreads spraying passes for a long time to come.
