Jon Newsome has claimed that Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter has yet to fully persuade, but admits that he has some very excellent skills.
Rutter scored his second goal for Leeds in their 3-0 win over Millwall at the Den on Sunday.
The Frenchman joined Leeds for a club-record sum in January last year, but struggled in the Premier League and was used as a symbol of Victor Orta’s poor recruitment.
Daniel Farke, the new manager of Leeds United, has been eager to give him an opportunity, and the forward has rewarded that faith.
Newsome admitted that the judgment is yet out on whether Rutter can develop into the center-forward Leeds hoped to acquire during the winter transfer window.
He confessed that he has looked better this season and that his game has some fantastic elements.
The former White, however, stressed that there is still a lot of work to be done in order to develop the Frenchman as an attacker.
Newsome did agree that the forward appears to be a valued member of the team and that he is eager to learn and progress.
Asked if Rutter is a centre-forward, the former White said on BBC Radio Leeds: “The jury is still out.
“You have got to give him the benefit of the doubt and he is learning his trade.
“It’s not his fault that somebody has put a £35m price tag around his neck and this league is something totally different to anything he has played in before.
“I have been critical of him over the period of time he has been here.
“I thought he was decent at Ipswich and I think today has been probably one of his better days.
“There are parts of his game that’s fantastic and sublime, there are areas where he gets all of it, but then there are other parts where if you are analyst, you will sit down with him tomorrow and tell him this is what you have got to better at and these are things you have to improve at.
“He wants to learn, he looks infectious, and he is part of the team, when he scored everybody was in and around him, jumping on him and celebrating with him, which shows that he is part of that squad and they are a very tight-knit group and I am delighted for him.
“Nobody wants to see him fail, everybody wants to see him succeed and today I think goes towards helping him succeed.”
Rutter has started the last four Championship games and is expected to be in the eleven when Leeds take on Hull later this week.
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