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Oliver Jones

'Charming, respectful' - Georginio Rutter's former coaches provide insight into Frenchman's early career

Leeds United's newest signing Georginio Rutter is yet to prove himself in front of the Elland Road faithful in the Premier League but has clearly proven himself elsewhere across Europe.

Starting his career off at Stade Rennes, the 20-year-old got himself a move to Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim where he really made his mark. He netted 11 times and provided eight assists in his 64 appearances for the club before his move to the Whites.

But before all that, those that helped him achieve his dream when he was younger have spoken about how proud they are of him joining a club like Leeds.

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Sébastien Diverres, who was one of his coaches at AS Ménimur where the forward stayed until he was 12, spoke about his 'got-get-em' attitude to training and is always happy to help those in need.

He told French outlet Ouest-France : "I especially remember his exemplary behaviour. If we’d asked him to play in goal or as a defender, he would have accepted. I’ve never heard him criticise a teammate or a referee. He always had a smile.

"When we need a shirt, whether it be Rennes, Hoffenheim or the France team for a raffle, we can always count on him. I sometimes send him messages from time to time. He always takes the time to get back to me."

As for whether he’ll be a success at Leeds, he said: "I don’t know if he will succeed. I’m not competent enough to know that, but from what I’ve heard, there’s no reason why not."

This was echoed by Stéphane Medoc, another of his coaches during his teenage years when he was coming through the setup at Vannes OC and he echoed Diverres' words.

"He was charming, respectful. A very good kid, well brought up. Even if he was a leader, he never made it about himself. He was a great teammate.

"I thought he would have continued in Germany. Now, he arrives on a whole new planet with numbers that can make your head spin. Football wise, he can do it. The capacity of putting in the effort all the time in a tougher league.

"You also have to look at the context. He’s arriving at a club that’s fighting against relegation."

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