There are plenty of news lines to come out of the Evening Standard’s revealing chat with Cyrus Christie. He is clearly keen to start again somewhere other than Craven Cottage after falling out of favour under Marco Silva – but his frustration at a lack of first team football almost pales into insignificance in comparison to the birth of his severely premature daughter and experiences of racism have impacted his outlook.

Christie, who is out of contract in the summer, appears certain to be moving on soon – although whether it is next month or in the summer remains to be seen.

“The boys are doing fantastic this season. The manager’s made a decision – and that’s football. You learn that. You have to get on with it. I have to look for a new chapter, get back to playing football and be the best version of myself as a footballer. I have lost that at Fulham. Personally, being out there on my own has been tough. I could understand it if I was being an a******e or kicking off. If you’ve got clarity, it makes it easier for you.

I’ve played over 400 games, I went to the Euros with Ireland as the youngest in the squad. I’ve played World Cup qualifiers, two play-off finals with Fulham, been promoted to the Premier League. I’ve got a wealth of experience, it’s just about getting back to playing regular football. I believe I’ve got a lot to offer many teams – as long as it’s the right fit, the right style of football for me to thrive.”

The more revealing elements of the interview surround Christie’s continued frustration with the football authorities and police for failing to take tangible action against racism – he tells a story of horrific social media abuse he received as he was joining Fulham that seems to have gone unpunished – and how the birth of his daughter came as a shock in September, with a nervous few days as the family waited to see if Amaya would survive. Thankfully, she did. Some things are far more important than football.