Tom Cairney joined Fulham in the summer of 2015 and has been through a lot in the six and a quarter seasons that have followed.

The 30-year-old was restored to the starting XI and with the captain's armband on his arm in the club's 4-0 victory at Nottingham Forest on Saturday and he clearly knows what it means to play for the Cottagers.

Only managing ten appearances in the Premier League last season due to injury would have been a crushing blow for the Scotsman who will be even more determined to take the club back there for the third time in his career.

Cairney was asked what makes Fulham special when he spoke on the Sky Sports EFL Podcast.

He said: "I think it's an amazing family club. I think it's a beautiful stadium, I know it's not the biggest but the history of it and since I've been born really it's always been a Premier League club and had big players.

"I don't think anyone hates Fulham. Fulham's always tried to do the right thing."

It means a lot to a club's fan base to have a player who understands what it means to wear the shirt especially in taking the captain's armband, Cairney embodies that on the pitch.

The Verdict

It has been a rollercoaster since Cairney made the move from Blackburn Rovers, earning promotion to the top-flight twice via the play-offs with his goal proving the winner against Aston Villa in the 2018 play-off final. There is fierce competition for places at Fulham at the moment and Harrison Reed can feel quite unfortunate to have been dropped for Cairney at the weekend.

The leadership the Scotsman provides from central areas and the experience of achieving promotion before could be invaluable in their push this season.

Marco Silva is new to the level but has not hesitated to get Cairney back out on the pitch with the captain's armband on and will be hoping the club can pull away from the chasing pack and remain in the top two in the coming months.