Ethan Ampadu insists he and his Leeds United teammates have “full confidence” that they will earn promotion to the Premier League amid a close race for the top two Championship spots.
United’s defeat to Portsmouth on Sunday means Sheffield United go into this week level on points with the Whites. Burnley in third are just two points behind. Three of United’s four Championship defeats this season have come when Ampadu has been out injured.
It is ‘50-50’ that Ampadu returns from injury for the run-in, according to manager Daniel Farke. The club have opted against going down the route of surgery for his knee cartilage setback, given it would have ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The captain is instead undergoing a more ‘conservative’ rehabilitation programme. Ahead of a potential return, the 24-year-old has underlined his faith that Leeds can secure a top two spot.
"There's three top teams at the minute that are all fighting for the same thing - four, if you want to include Sunderland as well. But for us, we've got full confidence in what we can achieve,” he told BBC Sport.
"We're fighting to be at the top of the league. I don't know who wouldn't enjoy that. It'd be silly not to. And whilst we're in it, we're going to try and enjoy every moment of it."
Ampadu was speaking at an event held by Green Football's Great Save, a three-week scheme that encourages people to reuse or pass on their old football shirts to prevent them contributing to landfill waste. Appearing as surprise guest at a charity shop in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Ampadu donated the shirt he wore as Leeds captain for the first time.
Ampadu was handed the armband by Farke aged just 23, the manager describing him on Monday as his “most important player”.
The midfielder made his senior debut for Exeter City aged just 15 in 2016 to spark a career that has taken him to Chelsea, RB Leipzig and Sheffield United as well as Italian outfits Venezia and Spezia.
Last summer marked the first off-season in five years in which he did not move club and Ampadu says he feels settled at Elland Road. "I feel like I've found a home, and hopefully I can show that in performances and in the way I am as a person,” Ampadu said.
“I feel like those things I've experienced and lived through, I've had to mature quite early. I've lived in a few different places, experienced different cultures and see how people conduct themselves in those professional environments.
"Being trusted at 15 to play and perform to get results, I guess that's one way I've had to mature. But also just being around people who are older than me for a large part of my development plays a part in it as well.
"I feel like I can come across as mature because of how I've been raised, but I'm sure if you were to ask a few of the boys around the training ground, they'll probably still say I'm 24!"