ETHAN AMPADU could have been the future of Arsenal and England – but instead he looks like he will be a future Chelsea and Wales star.
The 17-year-old’s stock has been slowly rising in the Blues defence, while he has been a regular sight on – and increasingly off – Antonio Conte’s bench.
And with his Rastafarian-style dreadlocks, the youngster is clearly determined to make his own stamp on the game… and boy is it working.
Ampadu is from a footballing family – his dad Kwame played for Swansea, West Brom, Leyton Orient and Newport County, but he began his career at Arsenal.
But guess where Ampadu senior is coaching nowadays? You guessed it, London Colney with the Gunners Under-18s.
He would even be eligible to coach his fledgling son if they were at the same club.
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Can Ethan Ampadu play for England?
PHOTOS of Ampadu have emerged of him playing in an England shirt playing for the Three Lions against the United States at St George’s Park.
That prompted fans to question why he hasn’t chosen Gareth Southgate’s side over Ryan Giggs’.
Under Fifa rules, Ampadu is still technically eligible to play for England, until he plays a competitive game for Wales.
But after experiencing both nations’ age-group football, Ampadu opted for the latter.
He told Sgorio in January: “I will be hanging around with Wales.
“I first got invited to an Under-16 camp with Wales, I went along with that and I just enjoyed it from the very first moment.
“I though Wales would be the one. The togetherness, throughout all the age groups, is a good atmosphere.”
FAW technical director Osian Roberts said that Ampadu, along with Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn and Sheffield United’s David Brooks, would turn their backs on England.
He said: “They are Welsh players, simple as. No story there. They are Welsh players. End of.”
Ampadu, meanwhile, has raised eyebrows both at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground at the FAW’s first team hotel at the Vale of Glamorgan near Cardiff.
Before Chris Coleman left his post as Dragons boss for Sunderland, Ampadu was gently introduced to the first team fold with Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey the Euro 2016 stars.
Given he has an English-born dad who played for Ireland Under-21s, you would think Wales have pulled a fast one on getting him onboard.
But the Exeter-born starlet’s mother is from Wales, and he made his international debut at the Stade de France in Les Bleus’ 2-0 win over the Welsh in an international friendly.
He then got his first start a few days later in a friendly clash with Panama.
But thanks to Dad Kwame’s links with the club, he broke records at Exeter City before heading up the M3 to Cobham.
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He broke a club record at St James Park when he became the club’s youngest first-team player in 87 years when he started in the League Cup tie against Brentford aged 15 years, 10 months and 26 days old.
And incredibly he was named man of the match in a 1-0 extra time victory.
He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017, making his Blues debut in the League Cup clash against Nottingham Forest, where he came on for Cesc Fabregas in midfield. Not bad company.
You might wonder why Ampadu is being tipped as such a hot centre back, but first and foremost just look at his vertical jump.
According to Chelsea’s website he is 5ft 9½in and 11st 3lb – and surely still growing – but his vertical jump appears far greater than that of his opponents.
That allows him to head the ball so much more cleanly than his rival players.
Meanwhile, he is good in the tackle, wins the ball well and has good anticipation – all the basic traits you would want from a central defender at a Premier League club.
But he has also played in the centre of midfield and has the eye for a pass, gets his head up and makes smart decisions.
He can clip long balls and make short passes.
And he is surely on the verge of a starting place for both Chelsea and Wales.
Ryan Giggs is set to name his first squad in the next few days with the Welsh heading to the Far East to face China and Mexico in the inaugural China Cup.
Ampadu could be in line for a starting berth in that first game, with Joe Ledley now in his early 30s.
And with Chelsea facing Leicester in the FA Cup quarter finals in 10 days’ time, he could be in the frame for even more game time.
Wales captain Ashley Williams said: “I wasn’t going to retire until I saw Ethan Ampadu in Portugal.
“He’s something else.
“We play a back three and he plays the same position as me. I was watching him at the other and I thought ‘this kid is unbelievable.’
happy to captain the team again
“He’s so young but if he carries on the sky is the limit for him. Definitely.
“Even I’m thinking ‘OK, if he progresses how he should then he will be a natural replacement for me.’
“It made me feel a little bit better in terms of when my time is to retire.
“When you retire you don’t want to think you are letting your country down or you have to play on because there’s no one else but you’re past it.
“When it’s my time and the gaffer feels I’m past it then Ethan can come straight in. For the time being I want to help him and pass on what I have learnt.”
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