WATCH: Leeds United club-record signing Georginio Rutter performs initiation song

Georginio Rutter has received a warm welcome at Elland Road over the past week, having agreed a long-term contract and simultaneously become the club’s most expensive signing. The French forward joined the media for his first question-and-answer session on Friday, ahead of a potential debut against Brentford this weekend.

Rutter revealed he had been welcomed in his native French by the dressing room at Thorp Arch, but had not yet performed his initiation song, as is customary for players newly signed to a club. Asked which particular song he would choose to sing when the moment arrived, Rutter stated Belgian artist Stromae’s ‘Papaoutai’ would be his ditty of choice.

However, those in attendance at the 20-year-old’s first press briefing were largely unaware of the European artist, or his hit song on the continent, much to Rutter’s surprise, who then tried to jog the memory of those in the room at Thorp Arch’s media suite, ultimately in vain.

Footage has emerged, though, of Rutter performing that exact song during his spell at previous club Hoffenheim, on the club’s pre-season tour last summer.

Rutter is expected to play a part this weekend as Leeds host Brentford at Elland Road, although head coach Jesse Marsch indicated in his pre-match press conference it would likely be from the bench. The player himself admitted that he is not at 100 per cent fitness, having not played a competitive game since mid-November, while also missing exhibition matches with Hoffenheim as the two clubs negotiated his transfer this month.