Fulham have released excerpts of Pavel Pogrebnyak’s Fultime interview to the press. Whilst most take the angle that he’s in no rush to sign a permanent deal, it’s something of a non-story as the piece would have put together before he continued his outstanding run of form at the weekend and Martin Jol has already confirmed that the club have begun discussions with the Russian striker about signing a pre-contract agreement.
What strikes me about Pogrebnyak’s quotes is his modesty. He’s respectful of English football and shows few signs of getting carried away with his whirlwind start. The reaction to his performances back home appears to be one of surprise but our new forward seems to have precisely the right attitude.
I’m here for six months initially and after that the club and I will see what can happen. My target is adapt to English football and to learn the way of the team – these are the most important things.
Right now I am only thinking about the present and the next game that comes. [It was an easy decision to come to Fulham as] there had been interest in me in the past so I was aware of Fulham as a club and had followed their progress for a while.
It has long been a dream of mine to come and play in the Premier League, so when the circumstances came about to enable the move to happen in January I was naturally very happy.
Pogrebnyak says he spoke to some of Russia’s English exports – Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko – about their Premier League experiences.
I did speak to them about England before making the move. But ultimately the decision was mine because it has been a long-term dream of mine to play in England. Now that dream has come true.
Like a lot of foreign players, Pogrebnyak seems to be enjoying life in London off the field – something that could be crucial in extending his stay at Craven Cottage.
I like London very much, and England in general. I was born in Moscow and I also lived in St Petersburg, so I am used to the big city and I like it noisy. In London I feel very comfortable in football and in my private life too.
I like the double-decker buses and the architecture of London, and the red brick buildings. I think London has a very strong identity. When you are in London, you know you are in London, nowhere else.
