Ethan Ampadu has been Leeds United for three years, let’s keep it that way — Square Ball 13/5/26

O captain, my captain

Words by: Chris McMenamy

The English media’s inability to understand what makes Leeds United tick meant that many, if not all, predicted a straightforward home win for Tottenham against a side that had already secured safety without kicking a ball. So imagine their surprise when, with more than an hour played and Spurs leading 1-0, United captain Ethan Ampadu came flying into the opposition penalty area and took an overhead kick to the forehead from Mathys Tel.

His team were meant to be on the beach, not in North London trying to ruin Spurs’ season for no reason other than personal pride. Nobody could believe what they were seeing, including the officials who spent four minutes replaying to see if Tel had kicked Ampadu in the head and, if so, why?

If this is the length that Leeds United’s number four would go to just to earn a ‘meaningless’ point, there’s no telling what might happen when there’s something on the line.

The captain’s role in modern football is much more fluid than in the days when it would be the loudest/maddest/most violent player wearing the armband, leading his teammates in the way a Roman centurion might command a unit. That armband can be used to pacify spoiled stars — see Bruno Fernandes — just as much as a club may use it to actually instill some standards within a group of players. Thankfully for Leeds United, it’s the latter.

I’ve been threatening to write about Ampadu’s colossal impact on the club since arriving in 2023 for some time, but things like beating Scum and reaching FA Cup semi-finals keep getting in the way. It has taken an end to all jeopardy for us to relax and take stock. The Athletic’s Beren Cross has written two articles since West Ham’s defeat against Arsenal made Leeds’ place in next season’s Premier League mathematically certain, and the Peacocks’ captain has been a central figure in both.

The inside story of United’s survival painted a picture of a club where all pull in the same direction with a figurehead in the middle as the driving force behind things on and off the pitch: Ampadu. We’re three years removed from Leeds’ last relegation, when there appeared to be a clear divide in attitude between the remaining figures from the Marcelo Bielsa era and the new faces brought in to fit a Jesse Marsch team, the result of which was a disjointed side where Rodrigo and some Championship players looked like the only ones bothering their arse.

Ampadu arrived at Leeds in the summer after relegation, the first signing made after Daniel Farke took over as manager. He has had to navigate a dressing room in transition, with ‘old’ stalwarts like Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling fading from view while rats fled from what they assumed was a sinking ship. Strikes, transfer requests and his old friend Tyler Adams — a supposed leader — reportedly threatening legal action if the club didn’t allow him to leave, all things that happened in that first summer as Leeds fought to avoid letting a relegation spiral into a full-blown crisis.

He played every minute of the 2023/24 season, deputising in defence and as captain in the absence of Cooper and the injured Pascal Struijk. Wembley heartbreak provided the fuel for Ampadu going into last season, which began with him being officially named club captain at the age of 23.

Debate about his best position — defence or midfield — raged throughout last season, but more importantly two periods of injury highlighted how vital he was to the team. By no means a talismanic player creating goals on a regular basis, defeats at Millwall and Blackburn showed the Championship that Leeds could be bullied a little in Ampadu’s absence.

Introducing him at half-time away to Preston after Paul Heckingbottom’s side kicked Leeds off the park, manager Daniel Farke showed he recognised the need for a leader to stamp some authority on the game. To my mind, United’s season turned on their late equaliser at Deepdale that day. An unbeaten run of fifteen games followed before Ampadu’s knee problems returned in February and Leeds wobbled, but his return shortly after did its bit to settle the side going into the ultimately glorious finish to that season.

He’s a player forged through hard times at Sheffield United, Venezia and Spezia. Relegations unfairly lingered over his reputation and when things got tough for Leeds earlier this season and Ampadu seemed to struggle making the leap to the Premier League, doubt crept into some people’s minds. But the turning point of half-time at Man City back in November and the subsequent system change has seen the Leeds captain continually exceed expectations and make a name for himself as one of the league’s most consistent defensive midfielders.

Ampadu has operated at such a high level in the past five months that two subpar performances against Manchester City and Sunderland in back-to-back home games left fans truly surprised, but the story of his season has been one of success.

Football has become bogged down in data analysis and fine margins, but there’s a lot to be said for the eye test these days. Having a leader at the base of the United midfield who is confident with the ball at his feet gives the team such an important platform. Leeds’ second goal at Old Trafford last month is a perfect example. Ampadu demanded the ball as Fernandes lay in a heap after losing it, and when he received it, he immediately switched play. From that Leeds created a chance and when the ball broke to the edge of Man Utd’s box, Ampadu was there to win it back and, eventually, the ball bounced up for Noah Okafor to make it 2-0.

Maintaining those standards in the final act of a long, demanding season has undoubtedly helped to ensure his teammates around him remain on top of their game. It’s no coincidence that the Peacocks have gone from strength to strength in the past few months and look to be growing in confidence as the season reaches its conclusion.

The fans have a captain they adore leading the team they love. The club are in a really positive place right now and the influence of Ampadu along with his manager deserves to be recognised for the impact it has had in making sure Leeds United remain where they belong before they can kick on.

In a crowded field, Ampadu can lay claim to being Leeds’ Player of the Season for his consistency and leadership, especially since things turned around. With one year remaining on his initial contract, it’s time for the club to commit to their captain, a man who can and should be at the centre of a new Leeds United, one that has the potential to achieve great things.