'He wasn't good enough' - Sam Allardyce makes blunt admission regarding former Leeds United attacker
Former Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce has given a brutally honest reason for his reluctance to use Georginio Rutter during his Elland Road tenure.
Rutter was the club’s marquee signing in the 2023 winter window, joining from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim for a club-record fee reported to be worth £35.5m.
Allardyce was parachuted into the Leeds job for the final four games of the 2022/23 season, with the club’s Premier League status hanging by a thread.
Despite the dire nature of Leeds’ situation, Rutter was used just once by Allardyce. His only outing came on the final day of the season, when he was introduced from the bench against Tottenham Hotspur with relegation almost confirmed.
Speaking on podcast Undr The Cosh, Allardyce said: “He wasn't good enough. I just couldn’t believe they paid that much money for him. Under the circumstances, he was too young. Coming in and playing in a struggling side in the Premier League that young was a lot to ask.”
Rutter bounced back from his difficult start to life in West Yorkshire, becoming a key figure under Daniel Farke in the following campaign.
His exploits landed him a return to the Premier League, convincing Brighton & Hove Albion to pay £40m for his services.