No player was more important to Leeds United’s side under Marcelo Bielsa than Kalvin Phillips, with the Englishman transformed into one of the best holding midfielders in the country in his final years at Elland Road.
Few – including Kalvin Phillips himself – could have imagined the player he would develop into from 2018 onwards. But he became absolutely crucial to the success of the Leeds side.
The high point of Marcelo Bielsa‘s tenure came in 2020/21, when Leeds finished ninth in the Premier League. Phillips went on to play a starring role for England at that summer’s European Championships.
Losing him to Manchester City the following year was an enormous setback. Ultimately, Leeds were nowhere near as good in the middle of the park, even with two players in that area of the field. It was no surprise that relegation followed.
Ethan Ampadu has cemented himself as the most important player in the current Leeds United side
Thankfully, Leeds now appear to have a player in Ethan Ampadu who can fill Phillips’ shoes. Once again, Leeds have someone to be the fulcrum of the side in that position.
Ethan Ampadu was majestic vs Palace. Does he deserve more recognition at Leeds? Let us know in the comments
Ampadu received plenty of plaudits following his display against Crystal Palace on Saturday. His long throws caused all sorts of problems, while he also scored his first Premier League goal in the second-half.
And speaking on The 2 Robbies this week, both Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe suggested that keeping Ampadu fit is going to be crucial to Leeds’ hopes of remaining in the top flight.
Earle said: “He’s the captain of the football club. He can play at centre-back. He’s been playing in that holding midfield with one or two either side of him. He scored a goal this weekend. And he’s one of those players, every time I see Leeds, I see the same level of performance from Ampadu.
“I see others around him playing better on the odd days, many worse, not putting in the effort. This guy delivers the same thing week-in, week-out. And if you’ve got 11 Ethan Ampadus, you will stay in the Premier League. And I don’t think he gets enough credit.”
Mustoe added: “A really good friend of mine is a huge Leeds fan. And I talked about Ampadu with him a little bit because it’s the position that I used to play. And he said, ‘I’m not sure whether he’s going to be good enough with his feet at the intensity of the Premier League’. I think he’s been pretty immaculate.”
How Ethan Ampadu compares with Kalvin Phillips in the 2020/21 season
Like Phillips, Ampadu has taken to life in the Premier League seamlessly. He does not look at all out of place at the highest level.
And some of his statistics certainly back up the idea that he has become as important to Daniel Farke’s ranks as Phillips was to Bielsa’s charges.
| Stats per 90 minutes | Kalvin Phillips (2020/21) | Ethan Ampadu (2025/26) |
| Tackles won | 1.41 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 1.81 | 1.09 |
| Interceptions | 1.67 | 1.22 |
| Clearances | 1.96 | 2.59 |
| Errors | 0.11 | 0.07 |
| Completed passes | 45.3 | 45.9 |
| Key passes | 1.3 | 0.34 |
| Passes into final third | 4.22 | 4.01 |
| Progressive passes | 5.07 | 4.08 |
| Take on success percentage | 62.5 | 63.6 |
What is so encouraging for Leeds is that there does not appear to be a great deal between the two players.
And with Ampadu only turning 25 in September, there is little reason why he cannot improve further as he grows more and more accustomed to the demands of the Premier League.
It remains to be seen how far this Leeds team can go. Having Ampadu playing at such a high level already is clearly a very good sign for what could lie ahead.
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