Leeds United star Ethan Ampadu issues friendly fire warning and discusses 'English' jibe

Ampadu, who has captained the Championship leading Whites for the last 12 games, comes face to face with team-mate Glen Kamara this week in international action. Wales, who will also have Leeds men Joe Rodon, Daniel James and Connor Roberts in their squad, take on Kamara's Finland in a play-off for European Championship qualification. Cardiff City Stadium plays host to the play-off semi-final fixture, as the Leeds quartet put their Premier League promotion bid and friendships to one side.

The game is special to Ampadu for a number of reasons, not least because it brings up cap number 50 for Wales, at the still-tender age of 23. International football has been good to the defender, bringing experience of major tournaments, even when club football has not. Being part of a winning team at Leeds this season has been a refreshing change following three straight relegations with loan clubs Sheffield United, Venezia and Spezia.

"I've had a few, well three to be exact, difficult years where we didn't win a lot of games," he told the YEP. "Unfortunately got relegated, so I've been through the hard times and I'm definitely enjoying the good times as they are currently and hoping it can continue. Football is definitely more enjoyable when you're winning. Maybe [it doesn't make as much of a difference] in like daily life because you're busy, I'm busy with my family, my partner and my little one. So I'm kind of not really thinking about football when I'm at home. But around the training ground, definitely, it makes a big difference. Just the mood, everyone has a lot more smiles, a lot more jokes. But ultimately we know the end goal so we're not going to get too carried away. We can take some confidence from it."

The £7m Leeds spent to bring Ampadu from Chelsea has looked more and more like an investment as the season has gone on. At first he made his home in defensive midfield, before moving back to cover for the absent Pascal Struijk in the centre of the defence. The subsequent partnership with Joe Rodon has been the bedrock of a 13-game unbeaten run in the league and a defensive record that shows zero goals conceded from open play in 2024. Ampadu, who is the only Leeds man to start every league game and has lasted 90 minutes all 38 times, likes playing in this team for a number of reasons. "I think we've shown this year a lot of sides to our game," he said. "We've shown in some games that we can dominate, of course, you want to dominate in every game we can. Sometimes that might not be the case through the opposition playing well, so I think what's pleased us is that we've also shown that we can do the hard side. We can dig in in games, a lot of late comebacks, especially earlier in the year and we've shown that sort of rough side, aggressive side. We've also shown our good quality on the ball. Another thing that's so good with this team is that we're all close together. We all get on, we're all good mates, everyone knows that if anyone gets onto you it's only for the best of the individual and for the team. And I think because we're all on the same page, it's only going to help us on the pitch."

Getting the call from Farke to play each and every game is one thing, being physically able to answer the call is another but Ampadu's availability this season has allowed him to benefit from Championship omnipresence, in a virtuous circle. "Don't jinx me," he said. "Touch wood. Obviously a few of you might get ill throughout the week, throughout the year I've had that but not really enough to miss a game. I don't want to speak on it or jinx it. I hope it can continue this way. Just making sure that when you're not training you're doing everything you can to recover properly. It helps, the rhythm. The little things within the game for me become a little bit more natural to you, because you're just sort of in that mode of game, game, game, game. But then that also helps, physically, mentally, all the things when you're in a good rhythm. The boss has had a big impact on me this year, whether that's been from a leadership role as it's been lately or just having the trust in me to play every game, play pretty much each and every minute. And then throughout the games when I've not done something well, he will tell me stuff to improve on stuff that I'm doing well and should continue, so yeah, he's definitely had a big impact."

Being in every starting line-up has meant that Ampadu has experienced every single up and down in the Championship this season. And through it all, as Farke's team and its fortunes have changed, Ampadu and the fans have been two constants. "It's a little bit indescribable, unless you're actually there and witnessing Marching on Together," he told the YEP. "When the fans are singing it when we're walking out it's honestly amazing. We had one game recently, after the game against Leicester, all the fans were signing, it was a big game and they're there for every game but particularly with the way we came back and the way the game finished, that was an unreal night. I'm fortunate to play for Wales, where the fans are exactly the same. If you've ever been to a Wales game, then a Leeds game is pretty much the same."

Which brings us to international football and a nationality question that was never a question for Ampadu, who arrived in this world during his dad Kwame's five-year stint as an Exeter player. English-born, but with a Welsh mum, an Irish grandmother and a Ghanaian grandfather, the international options were four-fold for Ampadu, even if only one made sense. "It sort of makes up who you are so of course growing up you'll always identify with each nationality, it's just that me personally, I am Welsh and feel Welsh," he said. "I don't think that's ever been questioned. Of course, when I was very young I played with England age group, but even coming off the back of that I always felt Welsh, always felt that I wanted to be a part of the Welsh set-up. Growing up I went to Wales a lot to see family members, but definitely playing [for Wales] and being a part of it and seeing the fans celebrate the success we've had recently, it definitely does make more of an impact. So yeah, to me, it's not a question, I don't know why some people still call me English when I'm Welsh."

In the almost inevitable likelihood that he plays, Ampadu will celebrate the half century of appearances for Wales. So too will James. Roberts is already there. Rodon has 42 caps. But Ampadu is the youngest of the lot, by at least three years. Reaching such a milestone, so early, naturally starts a conversation about doing what only three men have ever done and hitting the magic 100 mark. Or, better still, beating the record of 111 caps, set by Gareth Bale. It's just not a conversation Ampadu wants any part of, yet.

"No, let me get to 50 first and then whatever happens after that can happen," he said. "It would be a big honour to get to 50 and then what you said could happen in the future, but you never know. For now, I'm just thinking about hopefully getting the 50 and enjoying that and making that special. I mean, I think if you'd ask anyone, they probably want to reach it as quick as they can. Fifty games is a milestone whether it's achieved in five years or 10 years, it's an unreal achievement and something I'm really proud of."

Cap 50 will be a memorable one, no matter how the game goes, because it's such a huge fixture. Win that, and the final, and Ampadu can take part in his third major tournament. It would only be the fifth in Wales' history.

"It's amazing to experience," he said. "As everyone says, it's what you dream of us as a kid. To be fortunate enough to play in both of those [Euro 2020 and World Cup 2022] to be honest, it only makes the hunger to try and qualify for another one even more because we know how good the feeling was to be there. We know how good the satisfaction was of qualifying and it's just the feeling that we want to get on repeat. If you look at the celebrations and the way the players and fans celebrated together in the past in the previous tournaments, it'll just tell you exactly how the feeling is between us as a country."

Standing in their way is Finland and a player who has partnered Ampadu in the middle of the pitch on numerous occasions this season. The pair came up against one another three times in international action and Kamara is yet to come out on the winning side.

"We know here that Glen is an amazing player and we know it's gonna be a difficult game," said Ampadu. "I remember playing against Glen in those games against Finland. We call him snake hips. He can disguise his body very well for what he wants to do with the ball. I mean, we're all going to be prepared for the whole team. So yeah Glen will be an important part of the team but we're going to be fully prepared for each and every one of them.  I just don't want to say too much, I don't want to jinx it. There's been a bit of banter between the team, obviously there's four Welsh lads and then Glen. I don't want to jinx it because I know if it doesn't go our way then a lot of lads will get onto us. Let's just hope we can get through it."

Leeds United has been represented on both sides of so many high profile international battles but the sheer number of Farke's players involved in this one, and what is at stake, makes it especially noteworthy. There is little doubt the Leeds boss and his staff will be playing close attention on Thursday night. The meeting in Cardiff was one week away when Ampadu sat down to speak to the YEP and Farke was yet to issue any warnings over friendly fire. If that's what it takes to win, however, Ampadu says no quarter will be asked or given. "Not yet, but he probably knows that if it has to happen it has to happen and I'm sure Glen will kick us as we'll kick Glen," said the Welshman. "It's Thursday now so probably might not speak to Glen as much - nah I'm joking - but we've still got a big game against Millwall on Sunday to look forward to, then after that probably might not handshake and it's focus on."