Chris Martin wants to put the past behind him and focus on his football at Fulham.
The striker has been the subject of a transfer saga as he looked to return to the iPro Stadium to be closer to his family with Rams boss Steve McClaren openly courting him ahead of the transfer window opening.
This led to the 28-year-old being absent from the Whites’ squad for the original game at Reading that was abandoned on December 30, earning the ire of Slavisa Jokanovic.
He missed the 2-1 loss to Brighton and 2-1 FA Cup win at Cardiff before he returned to the side against Barnsley, scoring from the penalty spot.
And all he wants to do now is put the past behind him and focus on his game, while putting his family first.
He told GetWestLondon : “I just want to concentrate on football. I need to look after myself and my family. I believe I put them first throughout my career.
“In January, that’s been the case. People know there have been discussions. I’m not going to air my dirty laundry in public.
“All I want to do is focus on my football. I want to get over the disappointment of Reading but all players want to get on the pitch and play 90 minutes and I’m fortunate enough that I’ve managed to do that the last few games.”
Derby have been keen for Martin to return but Fulham and Slavisa Jokanovic have made it crystal clear that he will not return in January. The striker insisted he is happy with that and believes it is reflected in his performances.
He explained: “You never know what can happen in football but the club have made their position very clear and I’m happy with that and it showed in my performance after coming back against Barnsley.
“We’ll try and move on, come together as a team. We’ve got an aim to get into the top six and that’s what we’re aiming towards.”
He added: “I’m enjoying my football. It’s a very good team to play in. There are some great characters in the squad and I’ve really enjoyed my time here. Hopefully it can continue.
“We believe the play-offs are still possible. We believe it’s attainable but we’ll have to play even better than what we have done and grind out results.”
Martin also revealed that he held several discussions with Jokanovic and also with the rest of the Fulham squad.
“We had discussions on several occasions. I put my point across and him the same. I’ve spoken to the lads on several occasions. I want to focus on my football moving forward with the club,” he said.
