Marco Silva is still hopeful that young midfielder Tyrese Francois will commit his future to Fulham with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
The Australian midfielder, who was handed his first team debut by Scott Parker as a late substitute against Newcastle on the final day of last season, impressed Silva during the summer and made his first start for the club on the opening weekend of the new campaign against Middlesbrough. Francois, who has been at Craven Cottage since the age of fourteen, turned down Fulham’s offer of a new deal last year but Silva is hopeful he can be persuaded to stay in SW6.
“There is no big news about the contract to be honest, at this moment it is in Ty’s hands. Myself as a manager, I have shown I have trust in him and told him what I think about his present and his future. It is up to him now, he needs to be clear in his mind what he wants now. Apart from Fabio, the only young player who impressed me more was Ty and I believe in him.”
Silva defended his use of Francois, who has slipped down Fulham’s pecking order in midfield with his last first-team appearance coming in the FA Cup at Bristol City in January, after injury disrupted his progress with the senior side. The 21 year-old has become a regular in Steve Wigley’s all-conquering under 23 side, who he helped reach the last eight of the Premier League Cup yesterday.
“He had another injury that stopped him for longer than we expected which happened when Seri was in action in the Africa Cup of Nations. That could have been a good chance for him but he wasn’t able to play. Sometimes it is difficult for him in the Championship because it is really physical and that is not the strongest part of his game.
“But when the game is played quickly Ty has the talent to be a very good midfielder but let’s see what he decides. We will keep helping him to develop into a very good footballer.”
