Sylvain Legwinski has spoken of his delight at being reunited with his former manager Jean Tigana at Fulham.
The French midfielder, who became a first-team regular under the Fulham boss at Monaco, moved to Craven Cottage for £3.3m from Bordeaux last Wednesday and was unveiled to the home fans during the midweek win over Sunderland. He could make his debut against Derby County tomorrow and told the Evening Standard that he had been hoping Tigana would take him to England after becoming the Cottagers’ head coach last summer.
“I am very pleased to be in England and with Fulham. When Tigana joined the club and they went into the Premier League I was hoping he would call me. As a manager he is someone who is really good at his job. He knows the tactical side very well as well as the player’s side. That human approach is very important. In France we talk a lot about Fulham because of Tigana. He is very popular. My move here happened very fast and I did not need a long time to reflect on the decision because Tigana is here.”
The industrious midfielder has been impressed by the way his new side have taken to life in the top flight.
“I watched them play against Manchester United on TV on Sunday and they played very well. They tried to play the ball on the floor, which I like, and they have a lot of good players. You can see how Tigana wants the team to play. The system is the same as at Monaco. He does not want to play kick and rush but to pass through the midfield. I hope to bring my experience to the team because there are a lot of young players here.”
He enjoyed his introduction at Fulham’s historic home and is hoping to relish the opportunity of playing in England – having never previously played outside of his homeland.
“It was a great atmosphere at Craven Cottage on Wednesday and British stadiums are so different to the ones in France.”