Fulham centre back Philippe Senderos was the interviewee in the Metro’s Q&A feature this morning ….
Dimitar Berbatov is on fire for Fulham at the moment. How much of a difference has he made this season?
‘We have a different team to last year and we had a lot of goals then from Clint Dempsey. This year Berba has done a lot for us – he can pull off something special and if you keep it tight, he might just score you a goal. A lot of people say we rely a lot on his goals but I think we have a very balanced team.’
You met Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele at Tottenham when you won there recently, of course.
‘It’s weird – it was strange to see them. I was quite close to Clint and Mousa and was really pleased that when they moved on, they went to a good club and are playing in Europe.’
And it helped your old club Arsenal out too, in the race for the top four.
‘Arsenal was a big part of my career so I have a soft spot for them but first of all I wanted the three points for Fulham.’
Do you still speak much to their manager Arsene Wenger now?
‘Arsene was very important in my career and I speak to him every time we play against them and also once in a while. He has been a big influence on me and I have a lot of respect for him.’
After signing a new deal, you must be glad that you have some stability.
‘Stability is right. I’m happy here and happy to be playing Premier League football. We’ve had some good results recently, which shows we’re doing something right. Hopefully we can push on and make sure we finish in the top ten.’
Can Fulham build on that and qualify for the Europa League again next season?
‘This is what we’re aiming for. We know we can beat every team we play but if we could do this on a regular basis, we’d be a lot higher up.’
Has inconsistency been an issue this season?
‘There have been a few opportunities we have missed in away games. We had a bit of a dip around Christmas but picked ourselves up and the coach seems to have found a team he is comfortable with.’
But next season you must be looking for better.
‘I think so. I’m an ambitious person and a lot of people are at the club too, so hopefully with some more good performances, we can take some consistency into next season.’
You speak six languages. I bet that comes in handy with the many nationalities you have played alongside.
‘People in Switzerland speak a few languages and sometimes I’ve acted as the translator in the dressing room. Although it’s not my job, I’m happy to do it!’
You’re 6ft 2in. Did you fancy basketball as a career, like your brother Julien?
‘My brother was a basketball player but he’s retired now. I used to play but my dad wanted my brother to play football. When that didn’t happen, it worked with me the second time around.’
