Ethan Ampadu is no longer standing out for his hair but Chelsea loanee’s talent meant he shone as RB Leipzig overcame Tottenham… Frank Lampard will surely earmark him as another young prospect for the future
- Ethan Ampadu made his first Champions League start for RB Leipzig at Spurs
- He took advantage of the opportunity and impressed as they won the game 1-0
- The Chelsea loanee used to have long locks but has been sporting a shorter trim
- It did not stop him from standing out on the pitch for his talent on Wednesday
Ethan Ampadu has never struggled to catch the eye. Trademark dreadlocks, huge and bushy, cascading out of his head like upturned tree roots, have always made the teenager stand out even before a ball is kicked.
It’s not quite as easy for him to grab the immediate attention anymore. Gone are the dreads, hacked off by a celebrity hairdresser, replaced by a shorter, tighter, clipped trim on top.
Perhaps he felt it was time for a change. Switch things up, spark something new. A chance, maybe.
Ethan Ampadu shone for RB Leipzig as they beat Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night
The Chelsea loanee impressed after being handed a start by manager Julian Nagelsmann
Ampadu has recently shaved the long locks that had become his trademark hairstyle
The 19-year-old had not started a Bundesliga game all season for RB Leipzig. He had started more in all competitions for Wales than his club. That had not been the plan when he joined the German side on loan from Chelsea in the summer.
You can hardly blame Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann. His side are second in the Bundesliga, a point behind Bayern Munich. He has the likes of Dayot Upamecano ahead of him.
By all accounts, Ampadu has impressed behind the scenes, just struggled for opportunities. In a 30-minute cameo off the bench against Werder Bremen, he won five tackles and all of his duels in the air and on the ground. And with injuries piling up and Upamecano suspended, Ampadu was handed his starting chance.
Back in London, of all places. Against Tottenham, his parent club’s rivals, of all opponents. In the Champions League, of all competitions.
Ampadu (left) celebrates with his Leipzig team-mates after their win in north London
A huge opportunity, not only at the heart of Leipzig’s defence in their first ever Champions League knock-out game but also for his Chelsea career. Frank Lampard was surely watching on in earnest at yet another young player at his future disposal.
And if he was, he would have liked what he saw. Ampadu started in the middle of a back three, sitting deepest of all Leipzig’s outfield players. On the ball, he was composed, showing the attributes that see him also thrive in defensive midfield.
No one on the pitch had more touches, no one played more passes — nearly 100 of them at an almost 95 per cent completion rate. Most short and neat, others into the midfield. The odd drive forward with the ball at his feet.
Ampadu is said to be a popular member of the Leipzig dressing room and has started to learn German. Perhaps that’s why the youngster looked like the old pro at times with his constant applauding, jockeying and back-slapping of team-mates whenever he felt they needed it.
The defender wins the ball back from Lucas Moura, assisted by team-mate Angelino
It was off the ball that he bore the most rust. He made a hash of a long, hopeful clearance by Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, allowing it to bounce under pressure from Lucas Moura, and was only spared by the Spurs forward’s lack of control and some smart covering by Marcel Halstenberg.
Not that Ampadu, or the rest of his Leipzig team-mates, were tested too much. The German side dominated the ball, the play and the chances against a turgid, tepid Mourinho outfit.
Ampadu remained focused and, when it mattered late on, twice stepped out of defence to snuff out any final whiffs of danger as Leipzig secured victory, a clean sheet and the advantage for a place in the quarter-final. How’s that for standing out?
The 19-year-old holds off Steven Bergwijn as he looks to win the ball back from the winger