He undertook his primary and secondary education at O'Connell's School in Dublin where his schoolmates included future footballer Jeff Kenna.
[8] Ampadu first played in Irish youth football for Sherrard United and Belvedere before joining Arsenal in July 1988.
He went on to have loan spells at Plymouth Argyle and West Bromwich Albion the following season, before making a permanent move to the latter in June 1991.
He moved to Leyton Orient in May 1998 making 72 league appearances in two seasons but missing the Third Division play-offs in 1998–99 through injury.
The younger Ampadu, at the age of 15 years and 10 months, made his debut for Exeter City in a League Cup tie against Brentford on 9 August 2016, breaking an 87-year-old record set by Cliff Bastin.