This season has certainly brought a changing of the guard in terms of leadership at Leeds United.
Liam Cooper remains the club’s captain but has taken a backseat in terms of minutes on the pitch this season, while the likes of Luke Ayling and Adam Forshaw have departed, who were practically part of the furniture at Elland Road.
Leeds now have one of the youngest squads in the division with only Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers having a lower average age of players used this season, and so Daniel Farke has had to find some new leaders.
Pascal Struijk had been carrying the armband for much of the campaign but has now spent over two months on the sidelines injured, which has seen £7 million summer signing Ethan Ampadu step into the role.
Ampadu has looked like captain material and speaking in an interview with Welsh outlet Sgorio, club and international teammate Joe Rodon believes he is someone people at Leeds really look up to.
Rodon hails Ampadu as squad role model
He said: “I am going to big you up here. Since the boss has given him the armband he has stepped into it easy. A lot of the boys look up to him, and not just here, but at the national team as well.
“He’s growing each year and this season him playing none stop it’s only going to make him more comfortable and confident, and long may it continue.”
In what was a difficult start to the season for Leeds, Ampadu was the one leading by example with his performances, but now he is doing it with the responsibility of captain.
During his absence, Struijk has noticed that Ampadu is getting louder and louder on the pitch, while Neil Redfearn claimed he was an inspiration to the rest of his teammates in last week’s win over Leicester City.
Ampadu certainly is the type of player you could see being one of the faces of Leeds for several years to come, and hopefully that will be in the Premier League.
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