Leeds United fan-favourite nominated for PFA award alongside £25m exit and Chelsea signing

Leeds United star Georginio Rutter has been nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association Championship Player of the Year Award, joining former teammate and now West Ham star Crysencio Summerville.

Rutter made the six-man shortlist to be crowned the second-tier’s best player over the past year, having been recognised for last season’s incredible efforts by his peers on the pitch. Nominations were made by PFA members and the overall winner will be announced at the association’s annual awards in Manchester on August 20.

Alongside Rutter is former Whites teammate Summerville, ex-Leicester City talisman Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - now at Chelsea - Ipswich Town’s Leif Davis, Blackburn Rovers frontman Sammie Szmodics and Adam Armstrong of Southampton. The eventual winner will be picked by PFA members from that six-man list.

Rutter enjoyed an excellent full first season at Leeds, winning the hearts of fans with his exciting and somewhat unorthodox playing style. The 22-year-old grew in confidence with each game, having been thrown into a relegation battle when arriving in January 2023, and proved a level above most of those attempting to either mark him or, failing that, kick him off the pitch.

A tally of six Championship goals could have been improved upon, particularly given he was ever-present in one of the most deadly attacks in the league, but 16 assists was evidence of the Frenchman’s creative instincts. Those who attended Elland Road every other week would also suggest that numbers do no justice to the former Hoffenheim man’s quality.

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Alongside the Leeds fan-favourite is another who will be fondly remembered in West Yorkshire, with Summerville also nominated. The Dutchman was crowned EFL Championship Player of the Season in April on his way to an outstanding league tally of 20 goals and nine assists, eventually earning him a move to the Premier League last week.

A number of Premier clubs were thought to be keen on Summerville but it was West Ham who eventually went on to activate his release clause, believed to have been worth a little over £25m plus add-ons. The 22-year-old’s supreme confidence was key to last season’s form and will likely see him impress in the top-tier.

Another who earned a big-money move was Dewsbury-Hall, whose exploits with eventual champions Leicester City have seen him make the shortlist. The diminutive midfielder registered 12 goals and 14 assists - the only Foxes player to hit double digits in both fields - and dragged his side through difficult moments to finish on top come May.

Leicester have earned themselves a spot in the Premier League but Dewsbury-Hall has gone one further, joining Chelsea in a deal worth £30m earlier this summer. Ipswich and Southampton joined the Foxes in winning promotion, with respective stars Leif Davis and Adam Armstrong nominated for their efforts.

Armstrong was the man to break Leeds hearts in May’s play-off final, his typically clinical finish handing Southampton a 1-0 win, while Davis’ incredible 19 assists from left-back went a long way to earning Kieran McKenna’s side a second consecutive promotion. Sammie Szmodics might soon be joining the latter at Portman Road, having caught the eye of Ipswich while bagging 27 league goals on his way to the Championship’s Golden Boot.