Fulham manager Mark Hughes has reiterated his belief that Mark Schwarzer is ready to commit his long-term future to the club.
The Australian keeper was again in excellent form over the weekend as he played a pivotal role in Fulham’s goalless draw at Newcastle.
The 38-year-old, who submitted a transfer request over the summer as he saw a move to Arsenal fail to materialise, is out of contract at the end of the season.
Fulham are now looking to finalise a new deal with the former Middlesbrough shot-stopper.
The saves he made – that’s the quality of the keeper we’ve got and that’s why we’re working so hard to keep him here,” Hughes said.
“If we’re going to be successful, we need a quality keeper and that’s certainly what Mark is.
“He knows what we provide and knows the environment very well. He’s not just got good players on the field of play, but a huge support staff behind him.
“He knows that the environment which has been created at Fulham is second to none.
“When you get to the latter stage of a career you have to be able to recover well and have all the up-to-date information in terms of recovery.
“What Mark has got is a real presence. With all the top keepers they have a presence and that permeates towards their team-mates.” .
