Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has singled out a Leeds United player for praise following their opening round win over Everton at Elland Road.
Having dominated the first half, as Joel Piroe missed the best chance of the opening 45 minutes, Leeds looked like they would be forced to settle for a draw in their first game back in the Premier League.
However, a late penalty from Lukas Nmecha handed Daniel Farke and his Leeds side a well-earned win in which several players produced excellent performances.
Ethan Ampadu was singled out as the best player on the pitch by Jamie Carragher after the game, after dominating in midfield for the Whites. Now, Troy Deeney has echoed this, naming Ampadu as the “catalyst” for Leeds’ win.
Ethan Ampadu looks on during Leeds United v Everton - Premier League
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Troy Deeney praises Ethan Ampadu for Leeds United display
Speaking to the BBC, Deeney was asked to produce his team of the week from the opening round of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Deeney named Ampadu as the holding midfielder in his side, alongside Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Manchester City’s Tijjani Reijnders and was full of praise for his performance against the Toffees.
Deeney said: “In holding midfield, Ampadu was excellent. He had a really nasty tackle, and it looked like he could have done damage to his ankle, but he was excellent.
“He showed the armband, headed everything, tackled everything, and was really aggressive in his passing forwards – he was the catalyst for Leeds to go on to win.”
Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu and Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall do battle.
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Leeds captain praises Daniel Farke after opening round win
Leeds were made to sweat over Ampadu’s fitness after a heavy challenge left him in pain midway through the second half before he returned to the field, having overcome the effects of the tackle.
Farke withdrew his captain shortly after as Leeds pushed for a goal, and his substitutions paid dividends, with Nmecha coming off the bench to score the winner.
Speaking to NBC after the game, Ampadu praised Farke for his constant pursuit of high standards at Leeds after he inspired their opening round win. Asked how Farke will approach the season, Ampadu said: “He’s going to stick to his beliefs.
“Obviously, you’re always going to have to have little tweaks with who you play against and what the opposition does and how they try and play.
“But he’s going to be very hard on us; he’s going to keep us to our very high standards. There are no easy days, there are no easy minutes. He’s going to push us all the way, and it’s something that we’re all in together.”