'Something special' - Georginio Rutter sends Leeds United rallying cry ahead of Southampton clash
Leeds United could secure an instant return to the Premier League on Sunday.
Georginio Rutter hopes he and his teammates can repay Leeds United fans for their incredible support by doing ‘something special’ at Wembley on Sunday.
Leeds face Southampton in the Championship play-off final knowing one more win would secure an instant return to the Premier League. Daniel Farke’s side missed out on automatic promotion but rallied with two solid performances to beat Norwich City in their semi-final clash.
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For the majority of Leeds stars, Sunday’s clash will be a career-first trip to Wembley and that youthfulness can be seen equally as positive or negative, with a lack of experience also allowing for a more care-free attitude. Rutter will certainly adopt the latter mindset and hopes to repay fans who have backed him throughout the season.
“It’s the first time for me to play a final at Wembley,” Rutter told ITV. “It's going to be amazing, it's a dream for every kid. We are in the final, we played a very good semi-final against Norwich so everybody is happy. Now we have to do something special.
“[The fans] help me a lot. Anybody is going to be happy when everyone sings your name, so I am very happy. When I was a kid, this was my dream for everybody to sing your name so I am very happy for that and if we can give something back on Sunday, it would be great.”
That optimism has been key to unlocking the best of Rutter this season, with the 22-year-old often resembling the big kid in the school field, squaring Championship defenders up and then leaving them for dead. With each impressive performance, the French under-21 international has grown in confidence and that has only made him more capable of producing brilliant moments.
It’s a far cry from the shy-looking youngster that arrived at Elland Road last January, with then-sporting director victor Orta opting for potential when the relegation battle demanded experience. That Rutter was Leeds’ record signing did little to ease expectation and reflecting on a tough first few months in West Yorkshire, the former Hoffenheim man admits it was a challenging period.
“You know it’s hard [dealing with record fee] when you come from a country with no pressure,” the Whites forward added. “Here, there is pressure. It’s the best football in the world, it’s like the NBA for football. It’s hard when you come for a big price but I chose this sport so I have to be ready for that.”
Rutter looked back to his best in the 4-0 semi-final second-leg thumping of Norwich City last week, firing home the third goal off the underside of Angus Gunn’s crossbar. That was the Frenchman's first attacking contribution since undergoing minor hernia surgery during the March international break and capped off a typically expressive performance in behind Joel Piroe.
Leeds fans will hope to see more of that come Sunday and know that an in-form Rutter could well decide the play-off final, giving him and his teammates another crack at Premier League football.