Ethan Ampadu pre-season surprise shared at Leeds United
Four Leeds United players making early appearances at the club’s first day of pre-season training was surprising, according to Beren Cross.
In a post on X (4 July), the LeedsLive reporter said he was surprised to see Ethan Ampadu, Daniel James, Charlie Crew and Junior Firpo all at Thorp Arch so early in pre-season after the quartet’s international exploits.
Ampadu, James and Crew all featured in Wales’ most recent match on 9 June and had expected to take more than just three weeks and two days off, while Firpo played for the Dominican Republic on 12 June.
Therefore, the bulk of the Whites’ squad all began their preparations for the new Championship season on the same day, although Firpo could soon be jetting out to feature for his country at the Olympics [X, 2 July].
Leeds United keen to hit the ground running in pre-season
Having four of their first-team players returning from their summer breaks earlier than expected – particularly three so key as Ampadu, Firpo and James – can only be a good sign for Daniel Farke’s side [X, 9 June].
It’s a stark contrast to the sheer chaos of summer 2023, in which Farke had only been appointed as the club’s new manager exactly a year ago (4 July), with zero new signings and a squad in pieces.
The club’s takeover by 49ers Enterprises had only been agreed in principle a few weeks prior and was yet to be ratified by the EFL, leaving very little time to truly develop a new-look squad before pre-season.
To add to that, player departures would soon begin in droves, with Robin Koch’s loan move to Frankfurt just two days later beginning a trend of high-earning players pushing for similar switches elsewhere [Instagram, 25 May].
The fact that Farke and his side still managed to amass 90 points after such a chaotic start suggests that this time around, with almost an entire squad in tow and further additions on the way, the Whites are well-placed to secure their promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
In other Leeds news, Fabrizio Romano has shared a new update on the future of Crysencio Summerville.
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