Ethan Ampadu takes blame for Elland Road nerves as Leeds United skipper reveals what he said after the game — YEP 17/2/25
By Joe Donnohue
Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu thanked teammate and
matchwinner Pascal Struijk during the pair's post-match interview with Sky
Sports on Monday night.
Leeds clinched all three points against Sunderland courtesy
of Struijk's two late goals at Elland Road to turn the fixture on its head
following Wilson Isidor's first half opener for the Black Cats.
Sunderland went in at the break a goal to the good after the
Frenchman's expert centre-forward play had given the visitors a lead.
Isidor's run down the right-hand channel, tussling with
Leeds skipper Ampadu, resulted in the ex-Zenit St Petersburg forward rolling
United's Wales international captain and firing into the net, via Illan
Meslier's left-hand post.
Speaking after the match, Ampadu felt he was at fault for
Leeds' first concession in seven matches.
"I was frustrated at myself, the team work so hard and
a little bit of poor defending from me made them [Sunderland] go one-nil up. I
think first half we controlled the game, we were setting the tempo, trying to
play. When the other team sits back, we've faced it many a time, it's about
breaking them down. We always have the confidence, whether that's first minute
or 95th minute - whatever it was - that we're going to score," the club
captain told Sky Sports.
"Thanks to Pascal for saving me. I've told about four
times now, I might tell him again tomorrow morning. It can be frustrating, but
we always back ourselves."
On the scenes that ensued at full-time, Ampadu added:
"Eruption, chaos, didn't know what was going on, a lot of joy. It was a
good feeling to share it with the fans. They want this as much as we do so to
deliver at the end might be a little bit sweeter sometimes for them, might be a
little bit nervous for us, but towards the end you could see how excited they
were."
The skipper gathered the entire Leeds squad and staff into a
huddle on the pitch at full-time before delivering a message in front of the
jubilant home support. Manager Daniel Farke gestured for Sky cameras to keep
their distance from the team huddle as Ampadu delivered his rallying cry.
Leeds go into next week's top-of-the-table clash against
second-place Sheffield United as league leaders once more, having been toppled
temporarily by the Blades over the weekend.