Fulham defender Cyrus Christie has described his omission from the team during the first half of the season as being "tough" to deal with.

The 27-year old opened up to Dapo Abitogun on the Counter Attack Podcast about his time at Fulham so far, and the difficulties he has faced this season in particular.

The defender has made a total of nineteen appearances for the Cottagers in all competitions this term, but found his game-time limited at the start of the campaign.

“I was out of the squad for three or four months, I started playing again at the start of November. I came on and set up a winner [against Birmingham City] and from then I came off the bench five or six times on the bounce," Christie said.

QUIZ: Can you name these 18 ex-Fulham players?

Although a regular feature of the Fulham team at present, the 27-year-old discussed how he struggled with not making the 18-man matchday squad for months on end.

“It was tough, training on your own on the Saturday. He [Parker] names the team on the Friday - I already knew what my fate was, but the Fridays really hit home," Christie said.

If he was left out of the team, Christie's Saturday mornings would consist of reporting "at 9 o’clock to just train with the fitness coach" one on one.

"You’re not even touching the football really," the defender added.

However, the Republic of Ireland international said that he had to show determination to prove people wrong.

"I knew that I could get back in the team, but at the time, the manager just preferred them two [Denis Odoi and Stephen Sessegnon]."

Christie has since gone on to start ten further games for Fulham, last featuring against Huddersfield Town on February 1st.

The Verdict

It is clear to see that Christie's omission from the Fulham team at the beginning of season had a negative effect on him.

After featuring a total of 26 times for the Cottagers in their 2018-19 Premier League season, being left out of matchday squads altogether would have been a difficult thing to stomach - especially as Christie is at the peak of his career in terms of age.

However, he took his chance against Birmingham City in November well, and has been a regular part of the team since that point.