Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu described Premier League promotion as “amazing” and revealed the club are now fully focused on securing the Championship title.

The Whites delivered a stunning 6-0 demolition of Stoke City at Elland Road to remain top of the table, before staying on to watch Burnley’s 2-1 victory over Sheffield United at Turf Moor — a result which confirmed automatic promotion for both Leeds and the Clarets.

Thousands of jubilant Leeds supporters gathered outside Elland Road to celebrate their club’s return to the top flight.

“It’s amazing,” Ampadu said. “If you look at the scenes here after the final whistle — just pure excitement.

“Amongst ourselves, we’ve still got another target, so we’ll enjoy this moment, but we know there’s more to achieve. For now though, it feels very good.”

Joel Piroe was the star of the show, netting four times for Leeds against a beleaguered Stoke side, including the club’s fastest-ever league hat-trick, with strikes in the 6th, 8th, and 20th minutes.

Piroe claimed his fourth before half-time after Junior Firpo had made it 4-0 on 26 minutes, as Daniel Farke’s side overwhelmed the visitors.

Willy Gnonto added a sixth with a second-half header to seal Leeds’ return to the Premier League following a two-year absence.

Last season, Leeds narrowly missed out on promotion, falling from the top two during the run-in before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Southampton in the play-off final. Ampadu admitted that disappointment had driven the squad forward throughout this campaign.

“Definitely,” he said. “The lads who were here last season — we all felt that hurt.

“After that game at Wembley, we wanted to put it right straightaway, but we’ve had to wait for another season. The new players who came in have been brilliant, fitting perfectly into the group and helping us push towards our goal.

“Thankfully, one part is done. Everyone knows what the next part is, but it’s fantastic to reach this stage.”

Ampadu’s Wales international team-mate Joe Rodon said he was “buzzing” for everyone connected to the Elland Road club.

“For me, it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Rodon admitted. “I don’t think it will until the season’s finished, but I’m absolutely delighted for everyone involved — the club, the fans, and all the people behind the scenes who’ve worked so hard.

“This is what everyone has been striving for all season, and I’m buzzing.

“Last season’s outcome didn’t sit right with me. The new lads who joined have been brilliant, and we set our minds on getting the job done. I’m just so happy for everyone.”

Manager Daniel Farke — who previously guided Norwich City to Premier League promotion in 2019 and 2021 — said he was “lost for words” after his side’s emphatic victory and promotion.

Speaking while enjoying a celebratory beer, Farke said: “It doesn’t happen that often.

“You can see the atmosphere here — it’s incredible. It’s well deserved, 94 points at this stage is unbelievable. The lads should celebrate, and our supporters should celebrate too.

“It’s hard to reflect on a day like this, full of emotion, but it has been a long road. It’s never easy to steady the ship after relegation and cope with all that comes with it.

“Last season we played fantastically well over 90 minutes at Wembley, only to suffer heartbreak, but the resilience the players have shown to come back and achieve this makes today so well deserved.”