Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has demonstrated his desire to promote and develop academy prospects during his time at Elland Road so far.
The Whites boss made Archie Gray a first-team regular during the 2023/24 campaign and helped the England U21 international earn a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
This season, the German tactician has started 20-year-old academy graduate Mateo Joseph in all five of the club’s Championship matches, which further proves that he wants to champion young talent.
There is another Leeds academy starlet who could emerge as the next star to come through the set-up under Farke, and he could be the next version of Ethan Ampadu.
Ethan Ampadu’s Championship brilliance
The Wales international was signed on a permanent deal from Premier League side Chelsea in the summer of 2023, as one of the manager’s first signings.
Ampadu has started all 51 of the club’s regular season matches in the Championship since his arrival, which shows how much trust Farke has in him.
The defensive midfielder has started all five of the team’s games in the second tier so far this season, and has showcased his quality out of possession.
24/25 Championship | Ethan Ampadu |
|---|---|
Appearances | 5 |
Sofascore rating | 7.24 |
Tackles + interceptions per game | 4.0 |
Ground duel success rate | 68% |
Aerial duel success rate | 78% |
As you can see in the table above, Ampadu has dominated opposition attackers in physical duels, winning the majority of his battles on the floor and in the air.
He has been a strong and reliable operator in the middle of the park for the Whites and U21 starlet Charlie Crew could eventually emerge as Farke’s next version of the ex-Chelsea man.
Charlie Crew’s Leeds potential
Like Ampadu, the 18-year-old is a Wales international, having made his debut against Gibraltar in June, who predominantly operates as a defensive midfielder.
The exciting teenage gem has been on the bench for four first-team games already this season but is yet to make his senior debut for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Earlier this summer, former Leeds star Crysencio Summerville was asked to name a young player to look out for and picked out Crew. He described the academy ace as a “really good” midfielder and told fans to watch out for him, which is an exciting comment.
This shows that he caught the eye of a first-team player in training last season, before the Dutchman’s move to West Ham United, and that speaks to the quality of his performances in training.
He has made 24 appearances for the U21s to date, having scored two goals in 20 games for the U18s, but has not played for the academy this season, due to his involvement with the senior squad.
Crew’s consistent presence on the bench in the Championship this term suggests that a first-team debut may not be far away for the 18-year-old battler, as Farke has already deemed him to be worthy of a place as a substitute.
Therefore, the potential is there for the teenage gem to emerge as Ampadu 2.0 for Leeds, as another impressive, Welsh, defensive midfield option for the German boss.
