Georginio Rutter has praised Leeds United fans for creating an "amazing" Elland Road atmosphere during the 1-0 win over Southampton.
Junior Firpo's first goal for Leeds sealed a vital three points for the Whites in their battle against relegation. Southampton's visit to West Yorkshire saw Javi Gracia thrown into a must-win scenario for his first game in charge and the Spaniard would have been delighted to kick-start his tenure with victory over the Saints.
Defeats for Everton and Bournemouth capped off a near-perfect set of results for the Whites in the Premier League, yet their first top-flight victory since November was the clear highlight. And Rutter, who came on as a second-half substitute just moments before Firpo's goal, has hailed the Leeds supporters for creating a cauldron of noise at Elland Road.
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“Yes I enjoyed today,” Rutter told LUTV when asked for his thoughts on the game. “Three points for the team is important and also for the confidence, [we need] to keep going.
“It was amazing,” he reflected when quizzed about the feeling on the pitch immediately after Firpo scored. “It’s my first time here when the team score a goal and the atmosphere was amazing, I hope next time [we score] again.
“It’s very important [to win], because we are two rivals and it was very important to take the confidence for the next game."
Rutter, who spoke confidently in English with only the occasional need for Illan Meslier’s translation skills, also praised the impact that Gracia had on the team after the win.
“Yeah he [Gracia] helped me, not only me but everybody for the system,” Rutter added. “When I came on [as a substitute] he explained to me [how] to make a good job and [not to] make a mistake.”
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