---
title: "Ampadu: I rejected Man Utd and Arsenal for Chelsea dreams"
canonical: "https://readchelsea.com/2017/10/26/ampadu-i-rejected-man-utd-arsenal-chelsea-dreams/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Michael Oliver"
section: "Chelsea News"
published: "2017-10-26T14:04:58Z"
modified: "2017-10-26T14:04:58Z"
---

# Ampadu: I rejected Man Utd and Arsenal for Chelsea dreams

Last night, 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu became the first player to start a game for Chelsea born in the 21st century, and he didn’t look out of place.

After making his debut off the bench in the last round, Ampadu, who was an unused substitute in the win over Watford last weekend in the Premier League, played the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win against Everton which saw the Blues progress to the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup.

The highly-rated teenage midfielder has earned Wales call-ups in recent months following his move from Exeter to Chelsea and it’s clear that he has the trust of Antonio Conte.

![Clive Rose/Getty Images Sport](https://cdn.readeverything.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/850254506.jpg)

In the summer, there was great interest in Ampadu, with Arsenal and Manchester United looking to sign the midfielder but he opted for Chelsea and he says he made the decision because [it gave him the best chance to fulfil his dreams](https://www.devonlive.com/sport/football/football-news/ethan-ampadu-decision-join-chelsea-683917).

> You could think about that but I wanted to think about what I wanted to do as a player. What I’m trying to do is fulfil my dreams.

> I’d like to thank the manager and the players for having the belief in me. But I still have to go out and show that I deserve to be out there.

Chelsea have been criticised for not handing young players a chance in the first-team and many will be hoping that Ampadu, along with the likes of Charly Musonda and Kyle Scott, can begin to bridge that divide between the youth setup and the first-team.