Friday Fulham Stuff (24/03/17)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham defender: This is how Jokanovic has us training during the international break

According to Get West London, Fulham defender Denis Odoi has claimed that Slavisa Jokanovic is not easing up on his training intensity despite there being many absentees during the international break.

Odoi admits to hoping for an easier session but he says that Slavisa Jokanovic has them working to their full capacity still in order to maintain condition.

Fulham cannot afford any more slip ups between now and the rest of the season if they are to achieve their goals.

They twice squandered the opportunity to leapfrog Sheffield Wednesday and climb into a play-off position: firstly, when lowly Blackburn struck an injury time equaliser against them and then again when they failed to beat struggling Wolves at Craven Cottage.

With eight games left, one point separates them from the top six so Jokanovic has kept the intensity up in training.

That comes despite Fulham missing ten first team players through international duty, although Odoi does predict that the sessions will ease up towards the weekend as there is no game.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-defender-this-is-how-jokanovic-has-us-training-during-the-international-break/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are one of the top sides in the Championship for scoring late goals
We crunched the stats and Slavisa Jokanovic's side are one of the top teams in the Championship when it comes to scoring late goals


Last gasp equaliser: Tom Cairney celebrates his equaliser (Photo: Alex Pantling/GettyImages)

Fulham are one of the Championship's top teams when it comes to scoring late goals.

The Cottagers have scored eight goals either on or after the 90th minute of league matches, with only Sheffield Wednesday having scored more with nine to date.

That makes for interesting reading with both Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday fighting for sixth place and that last play-off position - and they have to play one another on the final day at Hillsborough.

Fulham's eight last minute goals work out at 12% of all the 66 league goals they've scored this season - 66 being the second most goals scored in the division, just four behind Newcastle United.

Tom Cairney has scored three of Fulham's second half injury time goals this season, his latest coming against Leeds United at the Cottage to grab a point at the death - only Blackburn's Sam Gallagher has scored as many.

At the other end of the pitch Fulham have conceded just three goals either on or after the 90th minute, but their last was costly when Lucas Joao popped up in the 94th minute when Blackburn played the Cottagers to deny them all three points in the 2-2 draw.

Rotherham have conceded the most with eight followed by Derby with seven - both of whom are Slavisa Jokanovic's next two games.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-one-top-sides-championship-12784556

[WhiteJC]

 
Celtic star Scott Brown is the reason I'm now Norway skipper says Stefan Johansen
The midfielder has heaped praise on his former Hoops team-mate after he was made captain of his country.

Former Celtic star Stefan Johansen reckons the influence of Scott Brown has helped him be appointed as captain of Norway.

The ex-Hoops midfielder has enjoyed an excellent season for Fulham after a sluggish start since his £2million move to London in August.

Now he's been named as the new captain of Norway by Lars Lagerback.

And he insists he has learned the art of captaincy from the best, including Celtic and Scotland ace Brown .


Stefan Johansen in action for Norway (Photo: Getty)

Johansn said: "This is a fantastic honour for me.

"I have played with some amazingly good captains in my career.

"I had Scott Brown, who has been captain of Celtic for many years.

"There was Per Ciljan Skjelbred on the national team and I am now playing with Scott Parker at Fulham who has had a fantastically good career.

"I have learned something from them all."

And new Norway boss Lagerback reckoned it was a no-brainer to appoint the 26-year-old as his skipper.

He said: "The way Stefan is as a footballer and as a man, he was the obvious choice.

"He will be a very good captain for Norway."


http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-star-scott-brown-reason-10083054

[WhiteJC]

 
International Round-Up

There was a Scotland debut for Tom Cairney while Chris Martin, Tomas Kalas and Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson were also in action.

Tom Cairney was handed his Scotland debut at Easter Road last night as the home side came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with Canada.

Fraser Aird, who plays his club football for Falkirk, opened the scoring for Canada on 11 minutes before Steven Naismith equalised with some help from Cairney.

The Fulham midfielder on debut had his shot saved by goalkeeper Simon Thomas but Naismith pounced on the loose ball and buried his attempt in the 35th minute.

Cairney completed 76 minutes before being replaced by John McGinn while Chris Martin started the game for Scotland and played 62 minutes before coming off for Leigh Griffiths.

The Scots will face Slovenia on Sunday at Hampden Park in what has been described as a 'must win' game by Head Coach Gordon Strachan for World Cup Qualification.

Tomas Kalas played the second-half of Czech Republic's 3-0 victory over Lithuania, with all three goals coming in the latter-half of the game.

Head Coach Karel Jarolim made 10 substitutions at half-time, which included bringing on Kalas for Tomas Sivok and it didn't take long for the changes to take effect.

Thomas Horava scored three minutes after coming on as a substitute and Jakub Jankto and Michal Krmencik added two more goals later on.

Next up for Kalas and his Czech team-mates is a World Cup Qualifier and an away trip to San Marino on Sunday.

In the Under 21s Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson started Iceland's 3-1 defeat against Georgia U21s, there will be a re-match between the two sides on Saturday with Iceland looking for an improved performance.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/march/23/international-round-up

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon wants to help get "his club" back to the Premier League
The 16-year-old has been at Fulham since the age of eight, along with twin brother Steven, and he has said that he "loves being at the club"

Ryan Sessegnon wants to help get Fulham back into the Premier League - where he says the club "belongs."

Speaking to FulhamFC TV in his first interview, the 16-year-old local boy spoke about how he loved being at the club where and twin brother Steven have grown up, having been there since the age of eight.

Sessegnon has become Fulham's most talked about man this season after putting in some jaw dropping performances, especially when you consider his young age, and they have seen him linked with moves away to some of the biggest clubs in the country.

But Sessegnon has only one thing on his mind at the moment, and that's getting Fulham back to the Premier League.

He said: "My ambition is to be the best that I can be - I'm a Fulham player, this is my club and I love being at this club and the opportunities I have had this season have been great.

"On a personal note, I want to help the team to gain promotion to the Premier League where we belong."

As a youngster, senior members of the team have taken Sessegnon under their wings to help him develop, but the 16-year-old has a special mention for captain Scott Parker, who he says has helped him out in his first season.

"I think I'm becoming a man, I'm maturing day-by-day," he added.

"The influence of being around men helps me and makes me be more professional.

"Everyone helps but in particular, Scott Parker, 100 per cent, what a person to be around, he's a great player and a great human being."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-wonderkid-ryan-sessegnon-wants-12785994

[WhiteJC]

 
Wickes Kits For Kids

Wickes award local youth team, Everett Rovers FC, with brand new football kit through the 'Kits For Kids' Community Initiative.

72 children's football clubs across England and Wales have been rewarded with new kit, thanks to a national competition by Wickes, The Official DIY Partner of the EFL. Local teams have been given the ultimate reward, with sets of brand new kit from Mitre, together with over 1,000 EFL tickets to all Kit for Kids winners to watch their local EFL team play.

The competition invited junior sides to share their stories with Wickes in order to be in with a chance of winning the ultimate kit giveaway, with 72 sets of brand new Mitre kit available for the lucky winners and their football team.

Wickes have now carefully selected the winning projects, and will be supporting the projects that will best help the development of the footballers of the future.

Throughout February, March & April, winners of the community based initiative will be presented with brand new football kit by their local Wickes store manager and a Player / Manager from their local EFL Club and yesterday saw an excited Everett Rovers FC U11s team presented their kit by Fulham FC's Denis Odoi & Lucas Piazon, and local Wickes store manager, Alastair Hyde.

Ben Wright, EFL Commercial Director, said: "It is very exciting to see how the 'Kits for Kids' initiative has captured the imagination of junior teams nationwide, and I am confident that local communities will really benefit from this competition.

"It is testament to the working relationships between Wickes and Mitre in their roles as Official Partners of the EFL that this campaign has proved so popular and will now help inspire youngsters to enjoy playing football and become life-long fans of the game.

Matthew Gaunt, Head of Brand & Communications at Wickes said: "We are thrilled to be meeting with the Kits for Kids winners throughout the UK. It enables us to see first-hand the value of supporting youth football teams and local communities. We are committed to our involvement within football so will continue to build and grow our local involvement and support grass roots football."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/march/23/wickes-kits-for-kids

[WhiteJC]

 
Fans Want This 26 Year-Old At Newcastle For £12M

Maybe it was the way he played almost two weeks ago at St. James' Park when he looked a very good player – whatever it is Newcastle fans seem keen on the club signing Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney with the reports being he would cost Newcastle about £12M this summer.

83% of fans want Newcastle to sign the creative midfielder this summer.

Tom has played for the Scotland U19 and U21 youth sides and qualifies to play for either England or Scotland because of his Scottish father and English mother; he has been called up for the full Scotland squad for the first time during this International window.

Tom Cairney – 26 year-old Fulham midfielder

In his career so far he has played 255 games with 33 goals and 44 assists.

Tom was born in Nottingham and started his career at Leeds United Youth Academy before joining Hull City  back in 2007.

Six years later he joined Blackburn Rovers in 2013 where he stayed for just a couple of years before joining Fulham.

This season Tom has been in outstanding form playing 41 times for Fulham with 9 goals.


http://www.nufcblog.com/2017/03/23/fans-want-this-26-year-old-at-newcastle-for-12m/

[WhiteJC]

 
Scout and About: Episode 4 - Fulham's enigmatic midfielder Tom Cairney
In this week's Scout and About, Roker Report's chief scout looks at how David Moyes might be able to inject more 'Britishness' into the Sunderland midfield this summer.


Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

In the midst of David Moyes' justification for dropping Didier Ndong for the Burnley game last Saturday, a British central midfield player could well be at the top of his shopping list this summer.

A Brexit-themed midfield pairing of Darron Gibson and Jack Rodwell is not an inspiring prospect in the slightest. A front two of Nigel Farage and Nick Griffin even less so. Add that to the fact that there'll be no one on the left-wing, and you've got a pretty toothless football team.

As ridiculous as some of David Moyes' post-match comments have been this season, it is absolutely paramount that the midfield is revamped this summer. While it's not mathematically certain we're finally going to succumb to the drop, Michelle McManus has just about finished her vocal warm-ups and has plugged her microphone in. In order to bounce straight back – which will be an arduous task in one of the most competitive leagues on the planet – acquiring the services of a player who has proven himself to be one of the very best in the league would certainly put the team in a strong position.

Under the microscope this week? Fulham's Tom Cairney.

Over the past two seasons, since his £3m move from Blackburn, Tom Cairney has been indispensable to a Fulham side in a state of transition. His consistency since his arrival has allowed The Cottagers to steadily improve around him, and with the season's home straight on the horizon, they find themselves in with a shout of a play-off place that very few fancied them for.

His form this season in particular has been outstanding. Cairney has appeared in all but one of Fulham's Championship fixtures, starting 36 out of 37 league games. He has weighed in with nine goals and ten assists, pulling the strings from a midfield that he commands with an impressive balance and composure.

Although he's most comfortable in the centre of the park, Cairney is also adept at playing on the right - a position he was used in regularly when at Blackburn. When asked to play wide right, Cairney often likes to cut inside onto his favoured left foot which is capable of scoring some spectacular goals.

In his time at Fulham, Cairney has proven himself capable of playing in both a deep-lying midfield role - always appearing comfortable on the ball and looking to start attacks with his vision and passing ability - as well as in a more advanced role, where he has regularly shown a knack of arriving late in the opponent's area with an unerring composure in front of goal.

After a stellar season thus far, Cairney is now looked at alongside the likes of Anthony Knockaert, Aaron Mooy and Fernando Forestieri as one of the best players in the Championship, and his performances have led to him making his international debut for Scotland this week. Considering his development over the past two to three seasons, Gordon Strachan will surely see him as a key figure in his country's bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup for the remainder of their campaign, which will further aid his development.

If you believe The Chronicle, Fulham quoted Newcastle a hefty £20m price-tag upon declaration of their interest in January. However, it would be hard to imagine the south-Londoners turning down an eight-figure fee in the summer especially if they aren't promoted to the Premier League. Cairney's goals, assists and all-round consistency will have Premier League clubs - as well as the more muscle-bound Championship clubs - coveting his signature this summer, and Fulham may be pressed into selling one of their prize assets.

Last summer, Championship sides flexed their muscles and held their own when up against Premier League clubs, spending big money on the likes of Matt Ritchie, Jonathan Kodjia and more recently Scott Hogan. Cairney is yet to have a sustained crack at the Premier League so may well opt for a move to the big time in the summer, but on the other hand, if a 'big' Championship club comes in with an attractive offer, don't be surprised to see him plying his trade there again next season, either. Perhaps Sunderland could be a potential destination for the impressive Scotsman - regardless of the division in which we find ourselves.


http://rokerreport.sbnation.com/2017/3/23/15029822/scout-and-about-episode-4-fulhams-enigmatic-midfielder-tom-cairney

[WhiteJC]

 
Why now is a great time for Burton Albion's Cauley Woodrow to be in England under-21 squad

Manager Aidy Boothroyd believes there is "no better time" for the likes of Burton Albion forward Cauley Woodrow to be involved with the England under-21s.

The Fulham loanee, who has netted four goals for the Brewers since joining in January, is part of Boothroyd's 23-man squad for England under-21 friendlies against Germany tonight and Denmark on Tuesday.

Denmark are captained by Woodrow's Albion team-mate Lasse Vigen Christensen.

The games are further preparation for England ahead of this summer's Under-21 European Championships, and Woodrow is one of three players, alongside Joe Gomez and Solly March, who have been recalled to the squad after impressive recent displays.

Burton Albion's Cauley Woodrow is back involved with the England under-21s

The Brewers striker previously played for the under-21s under Gareth Southgate, who is now manager of the senior team.

Southgate is showing faith in some of the players who shone for him in the under-21s, with Southampton's Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse both winning their first senior caps in Wednesday night's 1-0 defeat in Germany.

Boothroyd says it is an exciting opportunity for the England players of the future to be involved with the under-21s at this stage.

He said: "I said to the players the other day, there's no better time to be an England player or an England under-21 player.

"You've got a manager (Southgate) now who is willing to give you the opportunity and he knows all the players really well.

"They (Redmond and Ward-Prowse) deserved it as they're playing really well for their club and making cup finals so, hopefully, they can continue that progress.

"It's very competitive. We've got some good players in all age groups and the fact we've had some players move up from the younger age groups into the under-21s shows we've got some real talent."

Boothroyd also suggested that those returning to his team, such as Woodrow, have done so on merit earned through recent form.

Certainly, Woodrow has proved his quality, leading the line superbly in Albion's six-game unbeaten run, scoring four goals in the process, the first three of which all came in wins.

"We've got a group of players here who have earned the right to be where they are," added Boothroyd.

"Solly March, Cauley Woodrow and Jacob Murphy have been in the system before and now come back into it, while I'm really pleased for Sam McQueen to be involved for the first time.

"They all have different pathways.

"Sometimes they've got to go out to come back in, whether that means going out on loan or just to play football."



Read more at http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/why-now-is-a-great-time-for-burton-albion-s-cauley-woodrow-to-be-in-england-under-21-squad/story-30224334-detail/story.html#Iq9lSGQHd5okoRdK.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Sessegnon insists he is focused on Fulham

Ryan Sessegnon has told Fulham's website he takes little notice of speculation linking him with Premier League clubs.

Tottenham and Arsenal made enquiries about the 16-year-old left-back last year and there have been reports of interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton.



Sessegnon insists he is focused on Fulham

By West London Sport 23/03/2017

Ryan Sessegnon has told Fulham's website he takes little notice of speculation linking him with Premier League clubs.

Tottenham and Arsenal made enquiries about the 16-year-old left-back last year and there have been reports of interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton.

"I don't pay too much attention to it. I just focus on one job and that is playing for Fulham," Sessegnon told FulhamFCTV.

Sessegnon, who turns 17 in May, made his senior debut for the Whites in August and has made 24 first-team appearances this season, with 20 of them coming in the Championship.

"My ambition is to be the best I can be. This is my club. I love being at this club," he said.

"The opportunities I have had this season have been great and on a personal note I just want to help the team gain promotion to the Premier League where we belong."


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-was-whites-star-says-hes-unfazed-linked-likes-chelsea-tottenham-man-utd-liverpool

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham summer signing finally living up to the hype, shows determination can save a career

Every professional footballer is talented, that's a fact.

If that weren't the case, everybody would be able to do what fans pay hundreds (or thousands) of pounds a year to go see, and football wouldn't be what it is today.

Of course, some players are blessed with far more talent than others, yet it's what they do with that gift that will decide how their professional career pans out.

For Neeskens Kebano, Fulham's summer signing from KRC Genk, it might have taken a bit longer than expected, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo international is finally getting recognised on a wider platform for his ability with the ball in his feet.

A product of the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy, which he joined from ASA Montereau at the age of 14, the now 25-year-old certainly looked like he was on the right track when he made his debut for the Ligue 1 champions at the age of 18, yet hope quickly turned into despair.

Making nine appearances in all competitions for PSG, even scoring a goal in a Coupe de France game against Le Mans, the youngster was shipped out to Caen on loan for the 2012-13 season, with the club hoping for further development, but things didn't exactly go to plan.

Six starts, 15 appearances, one goal and one assist certainly wasn't the output either side were expecting, with the player clearly not ready to leave his entire life in Paris behind and be loaned out.

However, that difficult time in the north of France was probably exactly what he needed

Coming to terms with the fact he wasn't quite at the level needed to break through in France, the player decided to look elsewhere in 2013, which led him to sign for Charleroi in Belgium.

Rejecting offers from France and other clubs abroad, the Fulham forward decided to choose a club 'that showed a lot of desire' to bring him in, which is where he started his quest to make a name for himself in Europe.

Two years at Charleroi saw him play 72 games for the Belgian side, scoring 23 goals and assisting 14 times, as well as earning him a new contract in December 2014 that would keep him at the club until 2017.

That wasn't to be, however, as KRC Genk, impressed by what the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet had shown, decided to spend around £3.5m on the young attacking midfielder in August 2015.

A year to the day, 46 games, nine goals and six assists later, and a move to England, albeit the Championship, presents itself, and the player jumped at the opportunity to join Fulham.

Playing in a far more broadcasted league, in stadiums filled with dedicated fans, and at a club determined to return to the Premier League after spending far too long in the second-tier, was too good to turn down, and a £3.8m move materialised.

Of course, like the vast majority of signings from abroad, a time to adapt was necessary.

Furthermore, Slavisa Jokanovic's struggles to find the right team meant the 25-year-old dropped in and out of the squad, unable to have the impact required.

Then came the Africa Cup of Nations, a much dreaded competition for a lot of teams, as key players leave to represent their countries at an awkward time midway through the season.

For Kebano, however, this would be the perfect break needed to regain the confidence and stamina he had struggled to find during the first few months of the season at Craven Cottage, and he came back a changed man.

Returning to London reinvigorated, having scored for his country, the attacking midfielder has now become a decisive force at Fulham, scoring the winner against Wigan in a second-half cameo, as well as scoring and assisting in a 3-1 win against Preston North End.

With three goals and three assists in his last nine appearances, Kebano has picked up form at the perfect time for Slavisa Jokanovic, with Fulham just one point behind sixth placed Sheffield Wednesday.

As a chance at promotion to the Premier League becomes a more and more realistic goal, with the playoffs within touching distance, upcoming games against Derby, Norwich and Huddersfield have become even more important.

Having now shown he is now able to play the full 90 minutes, we could see Fulham turn more and more towards Kebano for inspiration over the coming weeks, as the Congo international continues his career's resurrection.

And with Premier League clubs always keeping an eye on who performs in the playoffs, who knows what could happen if Fulham made it that far?

Having started his carer with so much hype around him, the 25-year-old has now put all of that behind him.

Determined to make it to the top, the Fulham attacking midfielder just wants to make a name for himself, proving those who thought he was just hype and no substance wrong along the way.


http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-summer-signing-finally-living-hype-shows-determination-can-save-career/

[WhiteJC]

 
Billericay Town confirm the signing of former Tottenham, Fulham and Wolves midfielder Jamie O'Hara

Jamie O'Hara is delighted to be a Billericay Town player

Billericay Town have completed the signing of former Premier League midfielder Jamie O'Hara on an 18 month deal.

O'Hara, who has been a free agent since September 2016 when his contract at EFL League One side Gillingham was terminated, is the second big name signing to secure a deal at the Ryman Isthmian League Premier Division side since the takeover of multi-millionaire owner and first team manager Glenn Tamplin.

Last month, the Blues managed to secure a deal for former England international defender Paul Konchesky on an 18 month contract, which raised the profile of the club overnight after it gained plenty of media attention around the country.

Rumours started circulating online on Wednesday [March 22] that O'Hara was on the verge of joining the Blues, with the club finally announcing the news during a fans forum at New Lodge on Thursday evening.

Speaking to Essex Live during an exclusive interview, O'Hara has expressed his delight at putting pen-to-paper on a contract with Billericay and is looking forward to starting a new chapter in his career.

"I'm really happy," said O'Hara. "I sat down with the owner the other day and he told me about the plans he had for the club and what he has in store for it and it's nice for me to just get back out on the pitch and play some football.

"Obviously when Konch [Paul Konchesky] came down here and through speaking to Mark Wright, who is involved with the owner and a good friend of mine, it has been an ongoing thing that has got off the ground in the past couple of days.

"This move wouldn't have happened with Glenn to be honest. I met him and we had a great chat about all the plans he's got and where he wants to take this club.

"For me, it was great because I wanted to get back playing some football, get some fitness back and enjoy it."



Read more at http://www.essexlive.news/billericay-town-confirm-the-signing-of-former-tottenham-and-wolves-midfielder-jamie-o-hara/story-30223368-detail/story.html#zDWwlSD7pLYYqcuC.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Last chance: Jokanovic must give these 2 Fulham players another opportunity to shine

Fulham have had a cracking second-half of the season and thanks to Sheffield Wednesday's inconsistent form of late, they've got every chance of ghosting into the play-offs when May rolls around in the Championship.

Led by Slavisa Jokanovic, the Cottagers seem to have one of the most reliable squads in the division, that is capable of picking up points both home and away from Craven Cottage.

Barring the pretty poor 3-1 home defeat to Wolves last weekend, Fulham have been very good in recent weeks, with the peak of their success being highlighted by their 3-1 away win over Newcastle at St James Park a couple of weeks ago.

But with the end nearly in sight and a play-off place still a very real prospect, Jokanovic must start using the whole of his squad to make sure things remain fresh going forward.

So with that in mind and with a busy schedule of games ahead, Jokanovic must give these TWO Fulham players another opportunity to shine before the season is out...

Gohi Cyriac


Gohi Cyriac is currently serving a loan spell in London, having made the switch from Belgian Pro League club Oostende.

We haven't seen an awful lot from the Ivorian this campaign but as we saw during the game against Blackburn a couple of weeks back, he's certainly got the pace and power upfront to change games for the better.

He's a seriously speedy customer and would give most Championship defenders a run for their money when it comes to a straight footrace.

There's more to come from him for sure, despite the fact he's going back to his parent club at the end of the season.

Denis Odoi


Denis Odoi was a real mainstay in the first half of the campaign at Craven Cottage but we've seen him drop out of the first-team in recent weeks.

Another former Belgian League player, Odoi is a pacy right-back who offers terrific attacking support down the flanks for his side.

He knows how to support his wingers and is decent in defence too.

As an option going forward until the end of the campaign, he's certainly a player Jokanovic should consider using more often than not.


https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/last-chance-jokanovic-must-give-these-2-fulham-players-another-opportunity-to-shine/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon focused on promotion bid despite Everton and Tottenham links
Teenager is courting major Premier League interest.

Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon insists he is not paying attention to speculation surrounding his future at Craven Cottage despite interest from Everton and Tottenham Hotspur and is instead focusing on helping Slavisa Jokanovic's side push for promotion to the Premier League.

Sessegnon, who does not turn 17 until May, is believed to be attracting interest from the Toffees and Spurs, who could sign him for a pittance due to the fact that he has not yet signed professional terms in west London.

But the promising young left-back has played down rumours of a move away from the Cottagers and expressed his love for Fulham. The teenager is certainly not desperate for pastures new and seems intent on helping his side retain their top-flight status.

"My ambition is to be the best I can be," Sessegnon told FulhamFCTV. "I am a Fulham player, this is my club, I love being at this club. The opportunities I have had this season have been great and on a personal note I just want to help the team gain promotion to the Premier League where we belong.

"I don't pay too much attention to [the talk in the press], I just focus on one job and that is playing for Fulham."

Everton director of football Steve Walsh is believed to have scouted Sessegnon personally as he looks to hoover up the best young British talent available. Current Everton left-back Leighton Baines has been a great servant to the club but is approaching the twilight of his career and currently has no genuine competition for his place at Goodison Park.

In Danny Rose, Tottenham possess one of the best left-backs in the Premier League, while Wales international Ben Davies has proved himself to be an able back-up at White Hart Lane. Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has built a reputation for developing youngsters, and that may well prove to be food for thought for young Sessegnon.

The Fulham prodigy may well pitch up at Everton or Tottenham this summer but the aforementioned clubs will certainly face a fight to lure him out of west London, with a host of other Premier League outfits believed to be monitoring the defender.



http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/fulham-wonderkid-ryan-sessegnon-focused-promotion-bid-despite-everton-tottenham-links-1613381