Georginio Rutter on early Leeds United pain and new thinking after Daniel Farke messages - YEP 12/7/23

Georginio Rutter has cleared his head after a Leeds United baptism of fire and is ready to open a new chapter.

By Graham Smyth

The Frenchman only arrived in January but Leeds' season of chaos and woe swept him up and spat him out. Game time was not as forthcoming as he or anyone else might have expected, not least thanks to a club record fee of £35m.

The 21-year-old's nadir perhaps came when Sam Allardyce, the fourth of five managers he's worked for inside five and a half months, deemed him one for next season and not so much one for the Premier League relegation fight. Allardyce then turned to Rutter in the final game of the season, throwing him on in desperation against Spurs. One last dizzying headspin before the crash into the Championship.

"It was difficult because when I came here I thought I would play more games," he admitted after a first pre-season run out against Manchester United in Oslo. "You know when you are younger it is difficult when a coach comes and you don't play. It is difficult for the young player."

The summer break was short, but sweet. Necessary too.

"I was with my family and with my friends and when the football is finished you have to clear your head because if you don't clear your head, after, when you come back, you are not happy and the confidence goes down. I have to keep my confidence.

"Now it is good for my head because I know and I take more confidence with this and the mentality is better now and because of this [situation] I think I will be better for the future. Now is a new chapter so I hope we continue in this way and in my head now it is better."

Daniel Farke is happy to have Rutter, too. The German was one of a number of candidates in Leeds' managerial recruitment process who insisted they could see a role for the youngster, perhaps out wide, in a promotion-chasing team. Rutter has taken confidence from Farke's early messages.

"He said he knew me from before so he knows what I can do, so it's a pleasure when he came in as coach," said the forward. "He gives confidence to you and he says play like you want to, like you can and that's it."

Between now and the end of August things could get pretty complicated at Elland Road. There will be ins, outs and attempts made to keep players who will certainly attract interest and offers from elsewhere. For Rutter, the situation is far simpler.

"I know the objective is to come back in the Premier League," he said. "But now I only want to play football, so if I play football I am happy. Last year I didn't play a lot so now I want to play - so in my head it is not like if I go or don't go. My focus is [just that] I want to play football. I want to play football so I am happy with this."