Leeds United and Wales captain Ethan Ampadu has opened up on his highly effective new weapon ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Whites skipper signed a new four-year deal this summer, which could keep him at Elland Road until 2030. This follows Daniel Farke's side finishing 14th in the top flight last campaign, never seriously threatened by relegation.
Ampadu's Long Throw Success
Farke made several tactical changes during the season, including switching to a back three and utilising set-pieces, particularly the long throw, in a league that valued them more than ever. Ampadu hinted that moving up to the Premier League opened his eyes to the value of the long throw-in, and he realised his talent for it over time.
He told The Athletic: “We came to the Premier League, where set-pieces have become crucial. We were doing it one day in training and everyone looked and said, ‘Oh, that’s not too bad’. I got a bit of stick at the start of last season for having the shortest long throw. But it was getting better and better, just through repetition.”
Leeds scored five goals via long throws last season, second only to Brentford. Ampadu was second in the Premier League for long throws sent into the penalty area with 135, behind only Brentford's Michael Kayode with 164.
Set-Piece Impact and Personal Growth
Even in their pre-season game against Liverpool, Farke's men scored two goals from the 25-year-old's launching weapon. Ampadu explained why set-pieces have taken English football by storm and praised last year's Premier League winners Arsenal for their approach.
“They obviously created fear,” he added. “Whenever they had a corner, it got to the point where their fans were celebrating like it was a goal. I don’t think it (brought fear) to us because we want to make sure we defend the box as well as we can, but maybe that’s another reason why they could score so many goals (from those situations).”
The midfielder has also been studying some of the game's greats to continue improving. Ampadu said: “I’ve still got a lot (of room for) growth when comparing myself to other Premier League midfielders but it’s one thing that I want to do. I want to take everything I can out of my career. They are different profiles, but I look at a lot of (videos) of Rodri, a lot of Sergio Busquets, the way they control the game.”
Looking Ahead to the New Season
Ampadu was Farke's first signing in the summer of 2023, costing only £7 million from Chelsea after loan spells at Sheffield United, RB Leipzig, Venezia and Spezia. Three years later, the 25-year-old wears the armband at Elland Road and has made 121 appearances for Leeds.
He said: “We did well last year, how compact we were in a lot of games, but then there are some weaknesses that we can do better. You want to dominate games more; we want to put our stamp on games. It is the overall package of what we believe we can do.”
The midfielder also recognised the importance of not underestimating the challenge of a second season in the Premier League. Ampadu added: “The minimum is understanding that the second year in the Premier League can be as hard as the first year, so first, we need to make sure that we stay up. Then we want to push on from where we finished last year. We feel like we can.”
