‘Now it’s different’ – Ex-Leeds ace confident in Premier League return after Brighton move

Former Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter is back in the Premier League following his move from Elland Road to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Rutter arrived in the January 2023 window on a five-and-a-half-year contract for a club record fee of £35 million from TSG Hoffenheim. Despite the price tag, he didn’t see much action in that season as Leeds would get relegated.

After Leeds dropped into the Championship, Rutter really thrived under manager Daniel Farke, tallying eight goals and 16 assists last season. Despite his efforts, Leeds missed out on promotion, falling to Southampton in the Championship Play-Off Final, which led to several players leaving the club.

Georginio Rutter looks for redemption in the Premier League

Leeds were forced to sell Rutter to Brighton during the summer window for £40 million. Nonetheless, the player is happy to have another crack at playing in the Premier League as he believes this second stint will be a different experience.

“When I was with Leeds, the Premier League was different,” Rutter told the BBC. “I didn’t play a lot and it maybe wasn’t a good moment for me. Now it’s different. We have a good team and good atmosphere.”

Former Leeds manager Sam Allardyce recalled his short stint on the sidelines during the 2022-23 season. He also noted why Rutter barely saw the pitch during that relegation campaign and that the Premier League was too much for the player.

“He wasn’t good enough,” Allardyce said during an appearance on the Under the Cosh Podcast. “I just couldn’t believe they paid that much money for him. Under those circumstances he was too young. Coming in and playing in a struggling side in the Premier League that young was a lot to ask.”

The forward will have another opportunity to show that he can play in England’s top flight after Allardyce noted that it was too much for the player to handle the first time around when he was part of the relegated squad.

It will be interesting to see if Rutter and Leeds can cross paths in the Premier League next season as Farke and his team are a favorite to earn promotion this Championship campaign.