Kit Symons has hailed the contribution of midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe since he has returned to the Fulham starting line-up.

The combative midfielder made a positive impression on Symons when the Fulham boss was in charge of the club’s under-21 set up and is now enjoying a rich vein of form at the heart of Fulham’s midfielder, starting eight games in row and coming up with his first goal for the club at Charlton last week.

Symons said: “Ryan’s someone who I’ve always liked, I had him in the Under-21s with me when he turned up at the club and things didn’t always go as he would have hoped initially. If he’s dealt with in the right way, he’s a very good player. You can see his athleticism, he covers every blade of grass on the pitch.

“He’s a good character and a good lad. I think, like most people, he just needs to be treated the right way. Communication with him is key. I had three years up in Manchester and the word ‘mardy’ was bandied around. That’s Tunners all round – he’s mardy. I really like him, and sometimes his banter is of the moaning type. A couple of chats later and he’s as good as gold.”