Welsh youngster Ethan Ampadu reflects on Sheffield United experience and speaks on Chelsea future

It is fair to say that Ethan Ampadu has caught the eye in an otherwise bleak season at Brammall Lane.

Ampadu, who has already played 22 times for Wales, has been utilised in a variety of positions, playing across the back three and in holding midfield.

Since moving to the club on loan back in September, the 20-year old has gone on to make 27 appearances and says it has been the biggest move of his career so far.

He explains to YorkshireLive that he is yet to speak to Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel about his futre and is not looking beyond ‘a really big final eight games’ for the Blades.

“It’s been a huge season for me, the biggest I have had as a footballer,” he begins.

“I will take everything away from it that I can. Whether that’s learning and adapting to the Premier League, watching games back on myself and seeing what I can improve on, which I do regularly anyway, off the pitch stuff, mentally, how to look after myself.

“How to be a professional footballer in the Premier League is what I will take away from this spell.

“I have come on a lot tactically. You come up against a lot of different systems in the Premier League but also individual players. I have been fortunate enough to play against top class players and having to deal with them.

“But the nature of being chucked in and playing more games, you improve,” continues a reflective Ampadu.

“Being realistic, I had not had a lot of football- my goal was always to try and play this amount of games and more but comparing to other seasons, it’s been the big difference.

“You train every day to improve and learning from watching yourself and other players, but really, the only way you do get that experience is by being chucked in and that’s what I have had this season and I have ad to learn from it.”

Sheffield United have underwent a period of change this season. Chris Wilder, the manager who brought Ampadu to South Yorkshire, left his post last month and in turn, former academy manager Paul Heckingbottom has took the reigns.

Back in London, Chelsea have also endured a shuffle in the dugout.

There is a school of thought in regards to Ampadu’s future now that Frank Lampard is no longer at the club, having sanctioned the prospect’s temporary switch at the start of the campaign.

It will come as an advantage that current Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel enjoys playing with a back three- an area in which Ampadu has became accustomed too.

Remaining level-headed, Ampadu says that he has not given a lot of thought as to what lies ahead and will assess his options in the summer.

“My thoughts right now is just seeing how the season goes and then going into the summer,” he added.

“For now we have a big eight games left. My mind is just on that.

“I haven’t really spoken to him (Tuchel), I have spoken to Chelsea a little bit here and there just to see how the seasons are going, they have their season to finish off and we have ours.

“We will have to wait and see but to be honest I haven’t been thinking about that.

“Those sorts of questions will be answered at the end of the season, but for now we have a lot going on and I haven’t been thinking about next season too much.

“I need to be playing regular football, but I hope every footballer thinks that.

“That’s your job and that’s what you want to do, that’s why you grow up having a dream. Wherever I am I want to be playing football.

“We will have to wait to see what happens. I have dreams myself, that’s to play for one club, so we will have to see” finishes Ampadu.

Without a doubt, it is a huge summer for the Welsh International. Wherever his next move lies, he will want to playing regular football- in contrast to a loan move with RB Leipzig last term, in which he only made seven appearances.

Crucially, Ampadu also has the European Championships to look forward to, something that could have a decisive part to play in his future.