Chelsea starlet Ethan Amapdu admits there’s ‘been lots of frustration’ during loan at RB Leipzig
Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu says he has been left frustrated by his season on loan at RB Leipzig, a spell in which he has made just seven appearances.
Ampadu broke into the first team of hometown club Exeter City aged 15 and made his international debut for Wales at 17, coming on as a substitute against France in November 2017.
But despite rising to prominence at a young age, the 19-year-old admits his first loan spell has been ‘mixed’.
Ethan Ampadu has felt ‘a lot of frustration’ during his season on loan at RB Leipzig
‘There’s been a lot of frustration at time,’ Ampadu told The Athletic. ‘However, I’ve learned a lot through those frustrations which will only help me later in my career.
I’ve not played as many games as I’d have liked to but in the games I’ve played in, I think I’ve done reasonably well. That’ll give me confidence, but I’ve things to learn from.
‘If I’m honest, it’s not been as good as I hoped, not all that I wanted it to be. But I hope technically I’ve improved and, tactically, I’ve now played under another manager. So I’ve learned another style of football and how another manager thinks football should be played.’
Ampadu has impressed in action for Wales, despite seeing his game time limited in Germany
‘Of course I’d have liked to have stayed with Chelsea, but for this season it was the best decision for me and I stick by that.
‘I don’t regret coming out here and having these experiences.’
Ampadu signed for Chelsea in July 2017 and has made 12 first-team appearances, with his debut coming in a League Cup third round victory over Nottingham Forest.
The 19-year-old helped keep a clean sheet in Leipzig’s Champions League win at Tottenham
This season the versatile prospect has been restricted to just three substitute appearances in the Bundesliga by manager Julian Nagelsmann, but he has continued to display his composure on the ball during five European qualifiers.
In addition, he has played three matches in the Champions League, most notably in the February win at Tottenham.
He excelled in the heart of defence Leipzig claimed a 1-0 victory in the last-16 first leg encounter in north London.
It’s not uncommon for Chelsea to sideline young players with an excess of loan moves, yet his performances in Ryan Giggs’ Wales team dictate there will be no shortage of takers if Ampadu is to continue his development away from Stamford Bridge.
