A number of Leeds United players have stood out in recent weeks with Premier League survival now in sight.
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Former manager Tim Sherwood has suggested Tottenham Hotspur could have done with a ‘leader’ like Leeds United’s Ethan Ampadu this season.
Ampadu looks set to captain Leeds to safety following an excellent week in which they won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time this season. He starred in a historic 2-1 win at Manchester United last Monday before keeping things steady as the Whites beat rock-bottom Wolves over the weekend.
The Welshman has enjoyed an incredible campaign with the armband, playing more Premier League minutes than any teammate and regularly going toe-to-toe with midfielders worth at least 10 times his £7m price-tag. He is one of several Leeds players exceeding expectations while relegation rivals Tottenham continue to falter.
Spurs twice went ahead at home to Brighton on Saturday but twice conceded, Georginio Rutter netting a 95th-minute equaliser to make it 15 league games without a win for Roberto De Zerbi’s side. And former Spurs boss Sherwood believes a few characters like Ampadu would have gone a long way in North London if signed last summer.
”Looking through the group of players [at Leeds], at the beginning of the season, would Tottenham have taken many of them?” Sherwood asked on Sky Sports. “I would have said no.
“In hindsight now, when you look at it, you look at someone like Ethan Ampadu. He’s not only a good player - he’s a very, very good player - but he’s also a leader. He’s someone who wants to stand up.
‘Dragging them to safety’
“He’s not old but he’s got a lot of experience and he drives his teammates forward and that is what you need in this situation. You need someone who is willing to stand up and pull others in the correct direction with you.
“That’s what Ethan Ampadu has done. He’s not alone but he is dragging them to safety in this league.”
Ampadu looks set for another year as a Premier League captain with Leeds so close to survival. Saturday’s comfortable win over Wolves took them onto 39 points for the season, eight clear of Tottenham with five games to play.
Leeds travel to in-form Bournemouth on Wednesday evening looking to extend that lead to nine or even 11 points. Confidence will be high after an incredible performance last time they travelled away from Elland Road and a commanding weekend win over Wolves.
Ampadu will then lead his side out for an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against former club Chelsea on Sunday. It’s been 39 years since Brendan Ormsby did the same against Coventry City at Hillsborough in 1987 as Daniel Farke’s side aim to make more history.