Hahnemann In Fulham's Debt & The Form Of His Life

[White Noise]

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2010/04/16/hahnemanns-debt-to-ex-club-fulham/

Hahnemann's debt to ex-club Fulham


Friday 16th April 2010, 9:40AM BST.


Wolves goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann will always be indebted to Fulham for giving him his big chance – but warns he is in the form of his life now.

The 37-year-old returns to Craven Cottage tomorrow aiming to make a bigger impression than his time there from 1999 to 2002.

Hahnemann was limited to just four games in west London, before loan spells with Rochdale then Reading gave him chance to join the latter on a permanent basis.

He said: "I was indebted to them for giving me a chance – they were my first club over here and we had a great time.

'From day one, everyone was super good to us but it was just one of those things where I just never got to play."

The veteran is enjoying some of his best form of his career – and puts some of it down to his time as second choice for the first four months of the season.

He said: "I feel great. With all the training I've been doing and the extra stuff I've done this season, it's really paid off for me.

"Maybe not playing right at the beginning helped, because you can do a lot more work when you're not playing than when you're playing.

"For example, this week I've only rode my bike in once, whereas I'd normally do it at least twice.

"I was also really poor in training on Tuesday, but that's always the way when I come back in after a day off, because I'm so stiff."

Hahnemann doubts if some Fulham fans will even remember him, so does not know what reception he will get.

He said: "We'll see – I don't know if they will remember me! It's been a long time since I left.

The goalkeeper has pinpointed a Fulham danger tomorrow – his United States international team-mate, midfielder Clint Dempsey, who is battling back from a thigh strain following cruciate knee ligament damage.

He said: "Clint is really good in the air for someone not so tall, but there's a lot of guys like him, Brian McBride and Tim Cahill at Everton who have a great leap on them with great timing.

"With those attributes, you can really score some headers."

[LBNo11]

...a good 'keeper, I remember him warming up pre-match with the half size goal they used to put up next to the real posts. He was just unfortunate that Maik Taylor was so good, but he always looked a safe pair of hands. Good luck to him, I hope he doesn't get too stiff picking the ball out of the net tomorrow.. :62:

[TonyGilroy]

When he finally got a chance against Sheffield Wednesday he let in two soft goals. Shame because he became a seriously good keeper. Maik Taylor's equal at least IMO.

[BarneyTravers]

Met him at a Service station on the way back from an away in the glorious Tigana promotion season..came across as a very decent bloke.

Fulham for the cup

[Tktd]

I rember him playing once - he played and hardly touched the ball due to Fulhams domination at the time - I remember he hardly got the ball because everyone cheered when he touched it as they had seen him on the bench, undertudy to Maik Taylor, for so long they saw it in quite a funny way - almost like Shefki Kuqi.