Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch admits he's considering £55m scenario predicted in video game

Georginio Rutter has played with Leeds United team-mate Rodrigo before, just not in real life.
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Little did the 20-year-old Frenchman know, when pairing himself and the Whites top goalscorer up front in FIFA on the PlayStation, that he was visualising the future.

It's a future that Jesse Marsch can see, too, as he seeks to build more flexibility into the way Leeds operate on the pitch. The head coach can even envisage a day when Patrick Bamford joins the former FIFA strike partners in a Leeds United starting line-up.

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That's just about the unlikeliest scenario for Sunday's game against Brentford, not least because Bamford is building his way back towards full fitness and Rutter is, by his own admission, not quite at 100 per cent.He's getting there though and according to his new boss has looked good in his first few days of training at Thorp Arch. According to Rutter's general demeanour and a smile he can scarcely keep from his face, he's had a whale of a time. The dressing room rolled out their best welcome, in French, Marsch has made him believe he can bring a lot to the club and the fans have already sung his name at Elland Road.

"I'm lucky in the sense that my teammates have been superb, obviously I've got a close relationship with Illan [Meslier], I know him from playing in the French side together," he said.

"Everyone welcomed me very well. Everyone actually spoke French to me. And I had the chance to go to the stadium the other night and it was just magical. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing. I loved it."

Rutter, who plans to sing Papaoutai by Stromae for his Leeds initiation song, hit all the right notes in his first press conference on British soil but there was no hint of the old pro giving the fans what they want to hear. This was more like an awe-struck kid, eyes wide at what football can sound like in a proper English ground.

"I've already heard my song, in the stadium," he said.

ALL SMILES - Leeds United's record transfer signing Georginio Rutter has enjoyed a special first week following his £28mALL SMILES - Leeds United's record transfer signing Georginio Rutter has enjoyed a special first week following his £28m
ALL SMILES - Leeds United's record transfer signing Georginio Rutter has enjoyed a special first week following his £28m
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"It's almost like I haven't got words to describe it. It's the first time I've been in a stadium in England and seen an FA Cup tie with a Premier League side against a Championship side. I haven't got words to describe the atmosphere, it was great."

Leeds fans belted out his first name as he was introduced to them at half-time during the game against Cardiff and while they may well come up with something more elaborate as he settles into Elland Road life, that initial blast of 'Georginio' to the same tune as All Leeds Aren't We was music to his ears.

Rutter could find, as Rodrigo did before him, that a catchy tune helps keep your name on the songlist even when the goals aren't coming. Right now, of course, Rodrigo is justifying every chorus with what he's doing in front of goal. Twelve times he's hit the net, in 20 games, this season and two more will take him past his combined 2020/21 and 2021/22 tally. So there's no real chance that even at 100 per cent, Rutter walks into this side. He, like Bamford - who has three goals in two substitute appearances since his latest return from injury - will have to bide his time. But with a £28m transfer fee, a club record that just pipped the outlay for Rodrigo, and a five-and-a-half-year deal, it's clear the club and their new star-in-waiting have long term designs on that centre-forward role.

"I like playing right up front," said the youngster.

"All my career I've kind of through my youth career and everything I play just like a lone striker but also capable of playing down the sides as well either side. Obviously I could see the other night just how the fans really appreciate both Patrick and Rodrigo and from before I used to actually play on the PlayStation with Rodrigo."

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At 31 and in his best Whites form, Rodrigo clearly has Leeds life left in him, but Marsch is excited to have another young gun in the building and wants to use him.

"The best part is I think [Rutter's] intelligent," said the head coach.

"I think he understands a lot of the concepts. I said that before, and I think he'll be ready to contribute on Sunday. So we'll see how the match goes, but that will be in our mind."

If, come Sunday, Rutter finds himself on the pitch at the same time as both Rodrigo and Bamford, then something might have gone awry. It’s a scenario that screams do or die. Down the line, though, it could be an outcome that is wholly planned, and Rutter's FIFA-playing days will come to life.

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"Absolutely [I could play a two up top] and I think the way we play now, I tend to think that players need to have flexibility and in that we can use tactics and we can call a system one thing but it can often work in a little bit different way," said Marsch.

"And then we can figure out how to maximise the potential and qualities of each player. I could imagine us starting matches with all of Patrick, Rodri and Georginio. I think we'll continue to build flexibility into how we play with these guys."