Leeds United are pleased to announce that captain Ethan Ampadu has been named our PFA Community Champion for the 2024/25 season, recognising his incredible efforts and his commitment to community visits and educational initiatives throughout the campaign.
At just 24 years of age, Ampadu has flourished in his first season as club captain, and alongside that role he has also taken on far more responsibility in terms of community activation and fan engagement, recognising the significant impact his support can have on individual lives and important, topical matters.
Upon receiving the award, Ampadu said: "I feel really honoured to receive this award, and it has honestly been a pleasure to take part in the different visits and meet so many different people throughout the season.
“I've said it quite a few times recently, but I feel at home here in Leeds and at this club, so whenever I get asked to support an important campaign, or meet with supporters, I'm always really excited to. It's always nice to see smiles on people’s faces, and equally doing these things puts a smile on my face too.”
Ethan has gone above and beyond throughout the season, being on hand to support a number of campaigns with more involvement in community projects than any other player, including visits for the EFL Week of Action, International Women's Day, the EFL Community Weekend, Premier League's 'More Than A Game' campaign, Level Playing Field’s ‘Unite For Access’ campaign, and most recently Green Football's Great Save initiative where he also signed up to be an Ambassador.
Aside from these visits out in the community, the Wales international has also been dedicated to supporting fans going through difficult times and local charities looking for extra support. Ethan headed up a first-team donation to the Mission Christmas campaign, ensuring children throughout Leeds all had a present at Christmas and also took part in raising awareness for the British Heart Foundation, to help promote their Every Minute Matters campaign.
Continuing to offer his support across the community, our captain led the squad on the annual visit to Leeds Children's Hospital, where he has also visited on a number of other occasions by himself, to help supporters who are suffering and help give a much-needed lift.
Ethan is well deserving of the PFA Community Champion award this year, and it has been incredibly impressive to see him step up as captain both on and off the pitch.
