Thierry Henry called upon to give Leeds United helping hand in promotion bid
Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has spoken of how Thierry Henry can help get the best out of erratic frontman Georginio Rutter.
French youngster Rutter was signed at great expense in January but struggled for minutes as Leeds suffered relegation from the Premier League. The former Hoffenheim star has been given his chance under Farke, though, and he scored his first goal in English football in August.
Rutter's reward for his form in the Championship has been a return to the France Under-21 squad, managed by Henry. Speaking ahead of the international break, Leeds' manager revealed how he hopes the former Arsenal hotshot can act as an example to a player who has impressed but not yet been prolific in front of goal.
"Georgi is brilliant and is producing top performances but his goal tally could be better," Farke said of the 21-year-old, per The Mail. Rutter has three goals and five assists in 15 appearances this season, and missed a couple of presentable chances against Plymouth over the weekend.
"There were one or two situations where he should have scored, but he’s a young lad and will improve," the manager added. "To be the finished product at his age would be a miracle, so he can’t be perfect in each and every area. But he has to be a bit more clinical.
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"To have Thierry Henry as an idol and role model is always good because he’s one of the most exciting players this planet has seen. That’s a great honour for Georgi and a great chance for him. I hope he grabs it and if he comes back with a better end product then even better."
Rutter is one of three English-based players included in Henry's squad for their upcoming matches. Chelsea pair Malo Gusto and Lesley Ugochukwu have also made the cut after featuring in the Premier League this season, while Premier League-linked striker Elye wahi is also included after netting twice for Lens in the Champions League.
Have you been impressed by Georginio Rutter this season? Have your say in the comments section
Rutter has scored three times this season (Anna Gowthorpe/REX/Shutterstock)Les Bleuets will take on Austria in a Euros qualifier before taking on South Korea in a friendly. After falling in the quarter-finals of the last European Under-21 Championships, they have claimed three wins from three including a 9-0 demolition of Cyprus.
Rutter's blank against Plymouth ended up not mattering too much to Leeds in the grand scheme of things. First-half goals from Dan James and Joel Piroe put Farke's team in control before a late Ben Waine goal gave the visitors late hope.
In the end, though, Leeds held on for a win which leaves them third in the Championship, albeit eight points adrift of the runaway top two Leicester and Ipswich. They will return to action after the international break with a trip to Rotherham, before welcoming Swansea and Middlesbrough to Elland Road.
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