Saturday Fulham Stuff - 09/05/20...

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MY MOST MEMORABLE SEASON – Marcus Bettinelli

You arrived at Dartford on loan from Fulham. Were you happy to drop down into Non-league football to get first team experience?

Yeah absolutely. To be honest it wasn't a case of me dropping down it was more of a case of a step up for me. It was a big risk from Tony to take me on board knowing I hadn't played in the league before and it was a gamble for him so it was a massive chance for me and I knew it was a big step in my career and really glad he gave me my first opportunity in mens football.
It was a good season for Dartford as we finished 8th and best part time team. Why do you think we did so well that season?

Yeah it was a great season. I think when I first came in I knew it was going to be a relegation battle kind of season as we were around the bottom when I joined and I remember thinking for me that's great because i'll probably get quite a few shots and have a lot to do in the games and then we just started winning games and going on little runs here and there and we was really good at home that season and I think it was one of the big reasons we did so well and finished where we did. A lot of teams came to Princes Park thinking these boys are part time and we are full time so we should win comfortably but the boys that season just had a underdog attitude and never give up mentality and it took us a long way
You kept 13 clean sheets that season. Were you happy with your spell at Dartford? Was there a game that stood out for you?

Yeah I was over the moon to be honest. I loved every second of it. I probably didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did but I think because we were doing so well as a team the feeling in the dressing room was great. But coming in as a young lad like I was I had brilliant team mates who recognised that I was young and really got around me and protected me during them games which was a pleasure to play behind. We had a great back 4 that year especially Tom Bonner who was brilliant to play with who I knew every game would put his body on the line but it wasn't just him it was the whole team willing to do that which helped so much to our success.

I will always remember Luton away. Was by far the biggest and largest crowd I had played in front of and at the time Luton was going for promotion and some big money players and I knew it was going to be a tough game and we won 1-0 and made a good few saves that game and I just remember celebrating with the Dartford fans at the end and even a few Luton fans clapped us off as they could see how much we wanted it and it was a game i'll never forget.
Tony Burman was the manager that season. What was it like playing for Tony?

Yeah it was brilliant. Like I said I owe him a lot for taking a gamble on me and giving me a chance which other managers might of said no as I had zero experience. I remember meeting him the Friday at Princes Park and walking around the stadium and just remember thinking he seems like he really cares and that made me feel really comfortable. John Macrae the goalkeeping coach at the time was a huge help as well. The way he prepared me for games and the advice and confidence he game me was second to none and i'll always remember John for really helping me that season.
Who would you say was Dartford's standout player that season?

I think its a really tough one that. I could literally name most of the team to be honest. You had a lot of boys who worked so hard and did stuff off the ball which went unnoticed a lot of the time like Bradders (Elliot Bradbrook) and Champs (Tom Champion) and Nobes (Lee Noble) and that was key to us winning games but if i had to pick one i would say that year was Ryan Hayes. He scored some great goals that season cutting in on his left foot and game after game putting it top corner. And i knew if he got it one v one around there box he was going to create something so I think Hayes that year was brilliant
Do you still keep in touch with any of the team from that season?

Yeah I was meant to be involved in Elliot's testimonial this season but sadly it didn't happen and have seen Hayesy a few times as well over the years so try and keep in touch with a few of them.
After returning to Fulham you were sent out on loan to Accrington but in 2015 you got an England U21 cap. Do you feel your loan spells had helped in your development as a Goalkeeper?

Yeah massively. I think without my loans I wouldn't have got to where I am today. They taught me so much as a young goalkeeper mentally and physically and I always say to the young boys at Fulham now get yourself out on loan asap as it was the best thing for me.
You broke into the Fulham first team in the 2014-15 season and have been in and around the first team ever since. Are you happy with how your career has gone so far? What have been the highlights so far?

Yeah I have been really happy at Fulham. I have had a few really bad injuries which has really stunted my career at times but I think overall I can be proud of what I have achieved so far.

I think my highlights so far have defo been winning playoff final at Wembley. Probably my best day in football by far. Something I won't forget making my family proud that day and I actually had a lot of Dartford fans and players text me and tweet me the day of the game which was lovely. And of course being called up for England first team was something I never thought would happen so when it did it was another really proud moment for me.
What are your hopes for the future at Fulham?

Hopes are to hopefully get back to the Premier League with Fulham and get back into the England team. Was great to do it once and would love to do it again
Have you been back to Dartford since you played for us?

Yeah been back a few times. To watch the boys play but I love Princes Park. Great stadium with so many good memories and such great fans so looking forward to coming back there soon.



https://www.dartfordfc.com/my-most-memorable-season-marcus-bettinelli/

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Exclusive: Cyrus Christie explains how FIFA is helping teenagers cope during the lockdown

This week sees the launch of Football Beyond Walls, an initiative that pairs young people and professional footballers for a game of FIFA and a meaningful conversation about their lives in lockdown.

Ahead of the launch, Fulham's Cyrus Christie spoke to Football FanCast about his involvement in the initiative and his thoughts on mental health and Fulham's promotion chances.

It's a very strange time for a lot of us right now, but there are still some things that remain the same, the joy of FIFA bringing people together.

Now the popular video game is being used as a tool to help people open up about their mental health and how they can deal with the stresses of the lockdown whilst at the same time coming together to talk about their problems whilst with the comfort of a controller in their hands.

Speaking to FFC, the Fulham defender talked about how the idea of using FIFA to inspire teenagers to open up about the subject came about.

"I spoke to Jasper [Jasper Kain, Director of Football Beyond Borders] and I was speaking to him about running a FIFA tournament that I was running, which is still ongoing now. I was speaking to him in the build up to it and I was saying that maybe we can partner with him and do it. And then he mentioned that they've also been speaking about a thing for FIFA and they said "Are you interested in playing FIFA against some of the kids and talking to them."

In the film, Christie talks with his FIFA partners about how they are all coping with isolation during the lockdown and when speaking to Football FanCast he talked about how difficult a time like this is going to be for a lot of people given the circumstances.

"In general it is going to be tough for a lot of people. A lot of people obviously are going to be in certain different situations, maybe their home life might not be great. I think the cases of domestic abuse has gone up, and there are obviously people out there that are struggling on a day to day life of being locked in because they have got their freedom that potentially bravely keeps them sane."

When asked whether or not he felt that there were enough safeguards in place to help people cope with their mental health, Christie felt that the way things were handled so haphazardly by those in charge, there wasn't really a lot of time put aside to make sure that every single aspect of society was taken care of.

"I think on that kind of aspect, this obviously has not been thought about, but there's not many measures are in place because we reacted so late to the virus that it kind of all come out at once, so people weren't able to maybe plan and get themselves right for the potential of what's happened. So, you know, it's I think it's like we said, it's great that with the FIFA thing that their kids were able to talk and express themselves."

The good thing about FIFA, and technology the way that it is today, is that it has allowed people to connect with others that they wouldn't have had before, and Christie notes that for kids today, having this technology at their disposal has opened up great new possibilities that might not have come about if it were not for the lockdown.

"I think really, for a lot of people, especially when you look at the older people, their social life is people coming round to see them and them talking to people so I think you might find that a lot of these old people haven't got maybe haven't got the internet to talk to people. Whereas obviously, with a kid, it's easy to communicate with others.

I think it's been a blessing that it's allowed other people to maybe give themselves a mental break and explore different avenues that they're in, and work on themselves that they might not have had the time to do."

The first footballer taking part in Football Beyond Walls is Fulham's Cyrus Christie, who took on two teenagers at FIFA. You can see the results in this brilliant film – https://vimeo.com/415466197/45f135a012



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/exclusive-cyrus-christie-explains-how-fifa-is-helping-teenagers-cope-during-the-lockdown

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West Ham's right back solution hinges on one new contract and spells trouble for Ryan Fredericks

The Hammers have struggled with right backs in recent years but with two academy graduates emerging, have they found their solution?

When Ryan Fredericks joined West Ham on a free transfer from Fulham in the summer of 2018, the Hammers were supposed to have found their solution at right back after struggling in that position.

Pablo Zabaleta had a good first season but was ageing, Alvaro Arbeloa was an absolute bust, Sam Byram had been sold to Norwich City after struggling with injury and form and Michail Antonio couldn't defend when he was deployed at right back.

West Ham haven't been blessed with strong right backs arguably since the days of Sebastien Schemmel. Carl Jenkinson had a good season on loan at the club, Julien Faubert filled in admirably too before that stunning and bonkers loan move to Real Madrid, but right back has always been a problem.

Fredericks had earned promotion to the Premier League with Fulham the summer he joined West Ham in a very not well kept secret, but had developed as one of the most exciting full backs in the country.

In that promotion season, Fredericks bagged nine assists in 44 Championship appearances for the Cottagers as they went up via the play-offs, beating Aston Villa in the final at Wembley.

After swapping west for east London, the defender made just 18 appearances. He started the 4-0 thumping at Liverpool on opening weekend, dropped for the next game against Bournemouth, before returning for losses against Arsenal and Wolves.

But it wasn't enough as he wouldn't appear again until a substitute outing on October 11 in a draw at Huddersfield Town, when he injured his ankle and wouldn't play again until February 4.

Fredericks got his place back but never really convinced in the position, though he did bag a goal on the penultimate day of the campaign as the Hammers saw off Southampton in Stratford.

Renewed optimism heading into 2019/20 swept across the club, which quickly evaporated and eventually led to the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini. Fredericks has started 20 of the 29 games this season before football ground to a halt amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two injuries have stalled his campaign however. After a solid if unspectacular first half of the season, a hamstring problem suffered in the FA Cup win at Gillingham and then a shoulder issue picked up in defeat to Man City have restricted Fredericks.

Now he is contending with the emergence of Jeremy Ngakia who has burst onto the scene from the academy with some fine displays for someone so young. Ben Johnson, who has had his own injury struggles this season, could have usurped him too had he been fit. That can't be ruled out either, with Johnson's versatility on either side a huge asset in his favour.

Hammers fans have been impressed with Ngakia, who gets forward with purpose and arguably has a better final ball than Fredericks. The more senior player is blessed with jet-heeled pace down the wing but far too often, his delivery lets him down. He can breeze past a player with consummate ease, he used to be a 100m sprinter, but the end product can be hit or miss.

There is a problem with Ngakia though: his contract. The youngster's current deal expires in July, or whenever the end of this season is considering what has happened with Covid-19 and the Hammers have offered him fresh terms to put him on first team wages.

They are waiting to hear back from Ngakia on the offer, with the pandemic and also an apparent change of agent hindering things at the moment. Football is so uncertain in these current times that nothing is a guarantee, as is Ngakia penning a new deal though the noise from the club is they are confident he will.

Johnson's contract is already sorted as he penned fresh terms last Macrh until 2022, having enjoyed a breakthrough season under Manuel Pellegrini.

Johnson has impressed on pre-season tour in China since then, both at left back and right back, and was seen as the future under Pellegrini. The Chilean's dismissal and Moyes needing experience has helped Fredericks, but his most recent injury could be costly. Johnson will be sniffing around the first team again this summer, most certainly alongisde Ngakia if the latter signs on.

When football does eventually return to our lives in the future, Fredericks should be fit after his shoulder problem caused by being barged to floor by Man City's tactical foul machine Rodri, to start.

But beyond the season, the future is certainly unclear for him. With Ngakia and Johnson waiting in the wings, plus the Hammers having a bid for Nottingham Forest full back Matty Cash rejected in January, Fredericks is on borrowed time as Moyes hints he sees a different solution at right back.

He needs a big end of the season to convince Moyes he is still the player for the job at right back. With two years remaining on his contract come the end of his current campaign, the club might look to cash in. Every player has their price this summer, Fredericks included and he could be seen a potential cash asset for a club that is expected to be tight on funds.



https://www.football.london/west-ham-united-fc/players/west-ham-latest-news-transfers-18114080

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Exclusive: Cyrus Christie opens up about the troubles that plagued Fulham's disastrous 18/19 season

The 2018/19 season was one to forget for a lot of Fulham fans, as the club followed up the high that was their 23-game unbeaten run in the Championship to being relegated during a humiliating season for the Whites.

The Whites spent a large part of that season being ridiculed for the amount that they spent in the summer window, then failing to back up the results with the investments that were made, some of them very late in the window.

The team didn't get off to the best of starts during the league campaign, losing three of their first five games and only winning three games before the turn of the new year. In Cyrus Christie's eyes, there was only one reason why the results didn't come for the team, and that was a lack of cohesion within the team, both on the pitch and in the dressing room, largely brought about because of the way the signings were made.

"Last season when you go into the into the Premier League, a lot of the players came in late and obviously it is vital that you get your players in over the course of the preseason so everyone can gel.

You know, I think, for me, personally, I don't think there was a massive team camaraderie that year, we said as well that it was chopping and changing all the time, there was no real settled team, so I think a lot of people thought that they weren't being given a fair crack to prove themselves and getting that run of games."

At the end of the day, you need three or four games to get up to speed running, it's hard to jump in and out for six or seven games because you lose your match sharpness. It's tough to replicate that in training because obviously, match fitness is completely different, you can't replicate that."

That cohesion wasn't helped by the fact that the club changed manager's in the middle of November, as the club replaced Slavisa Jokanovic with Claudio Ranieri, and with a change in the dugout came a monumental change in the way the side played.

"At times, we didn't play to a standard that we were capable of and as players, it wasn't the kind of philosophy that we were used to, you know, you've gone from attacking football under Slavisa Jokanovic to Ranieri a more structured, Italian kind of way of playing."

A disjointed season brought about a lot of bad performances from the players, and as a result there weren't too many people that could come out of the season with their heads held high. Although Christie ultimately admits that it played a major role in how the season played out, he does believe that given the decisions that were being made in the dugout, they were put in a very difficult position to begin with.

"I don't think we gelled as a team and it was maybe that was the ultimate reason, maybe it was the way we were playing or the managers or whoever else there is to blame. I think if you ask any of the lads, none of them can come out with credit, maybe Mitro [Aleksandar Mitrovic] who scored 13 goals.

And then Callum Chambers who got player of the year obviously plenty of people thought he did really well. So, you know, different people will believe that they should have performed but at the same time, a lot of them were getting rotated in and out, you know, mentally and physically it's frustrating."

The club have gone back to its roots somewhat this season, keeping a strong core of players who were around for the 2017/18 promotion season, such as club captain Tom Cairney, top scorer Mitrovic, midfield generals Stefan Johansen and Kevin McDonald, defenders Tim Ream and Dennis Odoi, as well as more fringe players like Aboubakar Kamara and Neeskens Kebano.

And if Fulham are to be more successful in the Premier League should they get promoted again, it might be worth them keeping hold of these players rather than making wholesale changes once more.

This week sees the launch of Football Beyond Walls, an initiative that pairs young people and professional footballers for a game of FIFA and a meaningful conversation about their lives in lockdown.

The first footballer taking part is Fulham's Cyrus Christie – who took on two teenagers at FIFA. You can see the results in this brilliant film.  https://vimeo.com/415466197/45f135a012

Ahead of the launch, he spoke to FLW about his involvement in the initiative and his thoughts on mental health and Fulham's promotion chances.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/exclusive-cyrus-christie-opens-up-about-the-troubles-that-plagued-fulhams-disastrous-18-19-season/

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The Long Read: Abdeslam Ouaddou

If a player featured just 38 times for a club, you wouldn't expect them to have established that much of a lasting relationship. That's rarely the case when talking about Fulham Football Club, though...

Abdeslam Ouaddou arrived in SW6 – having rejected the likes of Arsenal and Monaco – as an enthusiastic 22-year-old just after we had won promotion to the Premier League. He never got the run of games he would have liked, but that did little to temper the love affair that was quickly forged with his new club.

"My dream was always to try and succeed in England, because I loved the Premier League, I loved London," Abdes recalls. "I used to visit with my college when I was young, I went maybe five times, and I was in love with this city, with this country. I loved the English language.

"I knew it would not be easy to play straight away, because the Premier League has more pace, more great players, than the French league. Also, we had very good, experienced players, like Andy Melville, a Welsh international, Kit Symons, Alain Goma, and the second year we had Martin Djetou. All these players were more experienced than me in my position of central defender.

"But when we choose such a challenge, we know that it will not be easy. In my head I was ready to work hard in order to make appearances with Fulham. Jean Tigana told me I would have more chances to play as a right-back. It was okay, I was at the service of the Club. I really wanted to improve and I thank Fulham because even though I was not a regular player, I can say that these two years in Fulham gave me a lot of experience and I improved a lot.

"More than football, I can say that I have a link still now with people in London, Fulham especially, because this Club still has all the love in my heart. I still visit every year. Every year I come to London to see my teammates or people who work at the Club; Carmelo [Mifsud, Communications Director], Mark Maunders [Player Liaison Manager]. All these people were very important to me.

"I had a lot of friends. I was close with a lot of the French guys because of the language; Alain Goma, Louis Saha, Luis Boa Morte because he spoke French as well, but I didn't only have a few friends, I had a lot of friends. People like Sean Davis who I'm still in contact with, I spoke with him the other week, John Collins I still speak with on the phone, Kit Symons... it was like a family. It was not groups of friends, it was a big family.

"That human side of it is very important. It's something that never happened after in my career, the feeling I had in that Club, the feeling I had with the fans, even though I was not a regular, the fans had a lot of respect, and I had a lot of respect for them. The people from the Club, they were very close to us. If we needed something, they were here for us to help us. This is very important for me; when you respect the player, when you respect the man as a human. It is something that I will never, never forget in my life.

"I played in other clubs and I didn't find the same respect as Fulham. It was unique in my career. The only place where it was similar was Olympiakos – I didn't stay a long time there either but, paradoxically, those are the clubs where people gave me more love. I will never forget that. I played regularly with Rennes, maybe 100 games, I played regularly with Nancy, I played regularly with Valenciennes, I played maybe 400 games in my career, but it's at Fulham and Olympiakos that I received the most love from people."

For a young defender, there can't be many better mentors than Chris Coleman. The Club Captain was continuing his rehab from a devastating car accident when Ouaddou first arrived, and he immediately became a role model for the youngster.

"He gave me a lot of advice. When I was a substitute with the First Team, I would play games with the reserve team, and that was the time when Cookie was starting to recover from his injury. He played with us in the reserve team, and he gave me a lot of advice, in terms of position, in terms of leadership. He told me that if I want to improve in that position then I need to be more of a leader, because you need to speak more as a central defender. He was close to us if we needed something, a very experienced guy, and I am not surprised that he became a fantastic coach with Wales.

"I was not a regular but I learnt a lot from all the players; from Cookie, Alain Goma, Andy Melville, John Collins, who is just a fantastic guy. We had a lot of very talented players, like Edwin van der Sar – this guy played for Ajax, Juventus, and when you spoke with these guys for one or two hours, it's something unbelievable. You train with them and so you learn. You watch, train and play with them, so it's logical that you will improve."

Like all of us, visiting Craven Cottage is now one of Abdes' favourite pastimes, and he tries to make sure he takes in at least one home game a season.

"I enjoy it so much," he says. "When I am in the stand, I can remember my time there and it's like I never left Fulham. When I'm in the stand, when I'm speaking with the fans... I played two or three times in the charity games, and it's like I never left. I bring my son, who is now 18 years old – at that time when I was playing for the Club my wife was pregnant – and he's now become a Fulham fan too."

The joy Ouaddou experienced at Fulham is in almost unbelievable contrast to what happened at the end of his career.

A new challenge presented itself in Qatar. It started brilliantly for Abdes as he captained Al-Duhail SC to the domestic title, but his Middle Eastern adventure soon turned into a nightmare.

"[Al-Duhail] wanted to build a strong team because they'd come up from the second division, and this was the team of Sheikh Tamim bin al-Thani, who is now Emir [head of state] of Qatar. At the time he was Prince, but now he's the Emir. It was his club and he wanted to build a strong team to go and win the Asian Cup. It was a project and they came to Nancy in a private jet to sign me, because they wanted an international Moroccan player, captain of the national team.

"To be honest, at that time, what I saw of Qatar was a wonderful country, a democratic country, that's what I could see on the TV. I didn't take the time to get some advice about the system there, nothing. I went there and signed. The first year was exciting because we were champions and I was captain of this team. Everything was going well, until the second year. The board told me that I had to change club. I was very, very, very surprised, because I'd signed a three year contract, and after the first year they were asking me to change club. I didn't understand. They pushed me and put me under pressure to sign for Qatar Sport Club, another club in the family.

"So I moved, but when I played with Sport Club we had a very bad season, and they asked me to resign in exchange of two months' salary. I still had a year left on my contract, but they wanted to sack me. They told me that the season wasn't good enough. They told me to accept two months' salary. I did not agree with that because I still had a contract. I told them to maybe give me a loan or transfer me to another club, so they stopped paying me! They stopped paying my rent, they took away my car – this BMW that I negotiated in my contract – so that I couldn't get to training. If I missed training then that would be something for them to use in court. When they took my car, in the same day I went and bought a Porsche Cayenne so that I could go to training. Their strategy at that time was to keep me in Qatar and let me keep spending my own money until I accepted their deal."

Now living in a hotel, not receiving any wages, Ouaddou needed to get his family out of Qatar. But a legal system rife with red tape meant that was easier said than done. It wasn't about money for Abdes, though, it was about rights.

"With this kafala system, with my French passport, I could not leave the country, because you need an exit visa," he explains. "And to get an exit visa you need authorisation from your employer, and of course they didn't want to give it to me. I was blocked, I was stuck with my family in that country. And what is the strategy? The strategy is to stay in Qatar until I didn't have enough money to live, and be forced to accept their deal. But I didn't have a problem with money, I just wanted them to respect my rights and respect the contract that we had signed. They didn't want to give me the exit visa to go back to France. I opened a case with FIFA, and after several months FIFA wrote to the club to tell them to respect the contract. They were very upset, they took me off the players' federation list, I was not allowed to train with the team, just with one coach in the 50 degree heat, for several months.

"I started to speak about the situation. I spoke to CNN and the BBC – thank you to them, because the French media didn't want to speak about this case because they had commercial business with Qatar. It's because of CNN and the BBC that I was able to get out of the country. They spoke about this case, they spoke about respecting human beings, and after that they started to make some noise about this situation, about a football player stuck in Qatar with his family, not being paid. This story started to make big noise, big, big noise in Qatar and across the world, especially in France, England and America. Then the club came to me and gave me the exit visa, told me I have 24 hours to leave the country and that they didn't want to see me there anymore. I asked them why and they said it was because I had made too much noise and with them hosting the World Cup in 2022, they didn't want a bad image."

With his freedom now won, Ouaddou wasn't finished, such was the strength of his feeling about how the country was operating.

"I went to France and I continued to sue them through FIFA," he says. "I joined the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), to help the other people stuck there and to talk about the workers' rights in Qatar. We started to make a campaign to rerun the [World Cup] vote. We had a very fantastic campaign, and we were invited to congress in Washington, America, to speak about this case and to speak about people who are stuck in Qatar. I know there are a lot of English and French people, not in football but in other companies, who are stuck there. It was very difficult but after maybe five years we heard that the Qatar government changed the law, and now I think there is not any more kafala and they respect the workers' rights a little bit.

"It was never a question of money, my target was just for them to learn that they cannot buy people. You have to respect human beings. I wanted to show them that a small guy like me can win a case like this. They used to buy everything because they have a lot of money, this is the problem. We fought with the ITUC for the workers, not only for the footballers. Most of the workers, the Sri Lankan, Philippine, Asian people, when they come to work in Qatar, they cannot go to see their family, they cannot open a bank account, they cannot have their own house. The workers often lived with 50 of them in a very small square meterage. When you see the conditions they are working in... they are building stadiums in 50 degree heat. When you know that hundreds and hundreds of people lost their lives... I wanted to use my case to help. That's what I did for several years, and we are proud of that because we put pressure on that government and we pushed them to change the law for the workers.

"After the case, people asked me if I was happy that I won my money back, but that was never my target. I just wanted to speak about the tragic, tragic conditions of the workers in Qatar. It's like slavery. You don't have to be afraid of using that word. It was modern slavery. I hope things have improved now a little bit after the government changed the law. Thank you to this Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin al-Thani; he's young, he lived abroad and he respects human rights a lot. He changed everything, and we have to congratulate him for that, but sometimes we can see that tragedy still goes on in this area."

Life resembles normality again for Abdes, who now has a Masters degree in sport management and is currently working towards his UEFA Pro Licence. Back at his former club Nancy, he's charged with guiding the club's youngsters. With all he's been through, there are no prizes for guessing what his coaching philosophy entails.

"I want to try to develop players with values, human values," he details. "That's very important for me, and it can be more important than football. Like I say to the players, if you build yourself without values, you cannot succeed in football. You have to be honest, you have to respect people, you have to work hard, you have to be helpful, you have to respect your teachers, you have to respect your coaches and the people around you. I told them that in my time I had seen a lot of great players who did not have any values, and therefore did not succeed. I saw a lot of players who were technically geniuses, who were physically top, but they didn't have any values, they were not professional, they did not respect or help people. In football you need solidarity, you need integrity. I think to succeed in sport you need to have very, very important human values. This is what I found at Fulham, they have very, very, very strong values, and it's why I am in love with this Club."

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/may/09/the-long-read-abdeslam-ouaddou