Football
ESPN staff 7y

School holiday allows Ethan Ampadu, 16, to join Wales training

Exeter City youngster Ethan Ampadu was only allowed to join up with the Wales national team for a training camp this month because it coincided with a school break.

Wales under-19 international Ampadu, 16, trained with the senior team ahead of Euro 2016 and has again been invited to join up with Chris Coleman's squad in Portugal ahead of their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Serbia on June 11.

"He's not missing any school but his priority at the moment is his exams," Exeter boss Paul Tisdale said. "He probably couldn't go away with Wales unless it happened to coincide with half-term week, which it does."

The defender became Exeter's youngest ever player in a competitive fixture when he made his debut in the EFL Cup in August at 15 years, 10 months and 26 days, and made 13 appearances in League Two and the cups over the course of the season.

However, Tisdale did not select him for the League Two playoffs -- where they lost to Blackpool in the final -- due to school commitments.

"He's played some really good games for us this year and is one of our better players, but it's very hard for a young chap at that age to play this level of football when he's at school every day, especially playoff games," he said.

Ampadu is also eligible for England, Republic of Ireland and Ghana and there have been suggestions he has only been selected for the training squad in an effort to persuade him to commit his future to Wales.

Tisdale, though, is hopeful the experience will help the player, saying the invite "has come at a very good time for him."

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