Chelsea, under Maurizio Sarri, have made a flying start to the new season. But the Italian manager is already planning for the future. As per BBC, Ethan Ampadu has signed a five-year contract extension with the club.
The Blues don’t have a glorious record of promoting youth to the first-team squad. The arrival of Roman Abramovich and his millions in the early 2000s hasn’t helped the cause either. In fact, the last first-team regular to come through the youth system was John Terry. But now Ampadu might well change that infamous record for Chelsea.
Ethan Ampadu is an 18-year-old midfielder, who came through Exeter City’s youth system and made his senior debut against Brentford at the age of 15. Towards the end of the 2016/17 season, the youngster was snapped up by Chelsea and he soon made his debut in the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest. But since then, he has started only 7 matches for Chelsea and none of those came in the Premier League.
The arrivals of Ross Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho has pushed the youngster further down the pecking order. But impressed by his performances for the U23s, Ryan Giggs handed Ampadu his debut for Wales in a recent friendly against the Republic of Ireland.
It was a chance that Ampadu was waiting for and he grasped the opportunity with both hands. The Chelsea youngster thrived in a three-man midfield alongside Aaron Ramsay and Joe Allen. For the third goal, Ampadu won possession with a sharp tackle and then carried the ball close to the 18-yard box, before releasing an exquisite through ball for Ramsay to finish.
Ampadu’s ability to stamp his authority only emphasizes his maturity. Neat and tidy on the ball, Ampadu has demonstrated his discipline, despite being surrounded by world-class players.
The youngster hasn’t received any playing minutes this season but by extending his contract, Sarri has shown his faith. The Europa League and the EFL cup are starting soon, providing the perfect chance for Ampadu to display his class in a Chelsea jersey. Doing so should allow him to adapt to the physical side of the game and possibly integrate himself into the first-team squad for the Premier League as well.
Read More: Opinion – Chelsea must sign this £20million Premier League sensation to replace £120,000-a-week flop
Ampadu is a talented youngster with ample potential and despite his contract extension, he needs constant playing minutes for his growth. Chelsea have done the first part correctly by handing him a long-term deal but now, it is the manager’s job to oversee his growth in the years to come.
