Zoltan Gera believes Fulham’s success is down to the team ethic instilled in all the players by manager Roy Hodgson.

The Cottagers finished seventh in the Premier League last term to qualify for the Europa League and are currently well placed in the top half of the table.

Fulham have progressed in Europe and have been paired with last season’s Uefa Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32 of the new-look tournament.

Hungary international forward Gera believes the ability of boss Hodgson, who recently signed a new 12-month rolling contract, in moulding his squad into a formidable unit cannot be underestimated.

“All 11 players of Fulham know what to do in order to avoid conceding any goals,” he said.

“We work a lot for each other and Roy Hodgson is an extraordinary manager.

“That may be the reason why Fulham cannot be beaten easily and the reason why we are able to win the difficult games.

“There are special players in the squad but they work just like the others. I consider (Bobby) Zamora or (Clint) Dempsey to be a star.”

The former West Brom player turns 31 in April, but still believes he can improve further as he approaches the latter stages of his career.

Gera would welcome the opportunity to feature in the UEFA Champions League, an ambition he accepts he is unlikely to realise with Fulham, although he is happy to be with the Cottagers.

“I really think that the best is yet to come in my career. I hope that I still haven’t reached the top of my career,” he added.

“I feel that as the time passes my strength is better and better and I look into the future in a way that my biggest successes are yet to come.

“I want to play in the Champions League, I want to be the member of a title-winning team. This may not be a real goal in the Premier League – maybe in another country out of the top leagues.

“But I do love to play in the Premier League because this is as good as if I played in the Champions League week by week.”