Last season Georginio Rutter was a rising star at Hoffenheim, but this season he has simply risen to be a star for Sinsheim club and one of the Bundesliga’s stand-out performers. His exciting style and end product has viewers on the edge of their seats, and he looks set to emulate a Hoffenheim legend if his star continues to rise.
After joining the club in February 2021 from Stade Rennes (where he was teammate of Eduardo Camavinga) Rutter made an instant impact scoring on his first appearance for the club as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen. He took no time at all to adapt to life in Germany and his new club and showed straight away a glimpse of what was to come.
1st Bundesliga game ✅
1st Bundesliga goal ✅Georginio Rutter wasn’t wasting any time 😎 pic.twitter.com/F7b8DxmnAI
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) February 23, 2021
Last season saw him appear in every game bar one under Sebastian Hoeneß, but with only 13 of those appearances coming from the start. He finished as the club’s leading scorer with eight goals- surprisingly outscoring the likes of Andrej Kramaric, Christoph Baumgartner and Ihlas Bebou. That first-season impact has just continued into this one, although now Rutter is a guaranteed starter in Andre Breitenreiter’s side- on current form how could he be dropped?
He ranks third in the Bundesliga so far this season for successful dribbles (19), and fourth for number of players dribbled past (21). His defensive work is effective as he ranks thirteenth for pressures made in the attacking third. He has scored once (a stunner versus Leverkusen) and provided an assist.
The 3-5-2 formation employed by Breitenreiter pairs him upfront with Kramaric as gives him a little more license to roam wide on the right. His fast feet and ability to beat defenders at pace with trickery has been a feature this season, and he is one of those players, who you expect to see something special from when he receives the ball near the penalty area.
Comparisons have been made to former Hoffenheim star Roberto Firmino, which have their credence. “He wrote the history of Hoffenheim, and I love his creativity” Rutter has replied. “I can play with my back to goal when needed (to help the team push up), but I also like to drift out wide and attack spaces as a winger. I’m a mix of all that.
“But I would say that things can change depending on the team you play for and what is happening during the game. I can also add that I’m a generous player – I run a lot.”
His former Rennes teammate Camavinga is now at Real Madrid, while Firmino is with Liverpool. The development and potential being shown by Rutter indicates that in the future he is destined for pastures bigger than Hoffenheim, but for now the Bundesliga can enjoy the exciting talent that gets people on the edge of their seats.
