According to Get West London, Fulham forward Sone Aluko has said that Huddersfield beating Reading to reach the Premier League in last season's Wembley showpiece Championship play-off final provided him with 'closure' and allowed him to focus on going on better this season with Fulham. 

The winger's comments will be particularly pleasing to Fulham fans, in the wake of rumours linking him with a move to Jaap Stam's Royals, who knocked Slavisa Jokanovic's Cottagers out of the play-offs at the semi final stage last season, with a 2-1 aggregate defeat.

“Huddersfield beat Reading, they were up and that was closure,” Aluko explained, unclear whether it was the fact that Fulham's conquerors Reading had failed to go up or just the fact that the season was over that provided the closure.

“After that, you go on holiday, you move on and start looking forward to next season. Of course, there was a sense of disappointment but that’s football," Aluko continued, before reiterating that Fulham have to be ready to go out and perform in every single match of the long and testing second tier season.

"Every time you play, you’ve got to earn the right to win, you can’t base it off what we did before — winning 5-0 [vs Reading], 5-0 and 4-1 [vs Huddersfield] — you have to go out there and keep doing it every time.”

In further good news for Fulham fans, Aluko seems fully focused on the coming season with the Whites, and stated that he wants to carry on the side's good work under Jokanovic, and get back into the Premier League.

“We want to build on last season. We’re not satisfied with what we did last year. We’re proud of what we did — at the start of last season we weren’t tipped to be anywhere near the play-offs — but we want more."

The Verdict: 

Aluko's words are a timely boost to Fulham fans, who may have been getting nervy that one of their most potent attackers was set for a move to a play-off rival, even more gallingly, the team who knocked them out of the play-offs last season.

However, the former Hull man has made it crystal clear that he is fully focused on the coming season at Craven Cottage, all but ending any speculation that he will be anywhere else when the transfer window slams shut.

His message to the squad is notable because he knows that last year's surprise run to the play offs counts for nothing, and regardless of being a bigger coup this time around, his side need to be at the top of their game from the start of the season until the end.

Fulham fans - how pleased are you that Aluko has reiterated his commitment? Can you go one better this season? Let us know below...