Neeksens Kebano says being part of Fulham’s free-scoring forward line is the most fun he has had in his career.
The Congolese winger has been rewarded for some fine displays under Marco Silva with his longest run in the first team since moving to Craven Cottage in 2016 and has made the most of his opportunity, scoring eight times in 28 appearances this season.
Kebano told the Evening Standard: “Is this the most fun I’ve had in a forward line? Yes, probably. We are enjoying it a lot, it is a good thing we can split the goals between us, too. Mitrovic has obviously scored the most, but apart from Mitrovic there are goals from every player which is something very good.
“You know that having Mitro by your side from the beginning of the season you’ll already have at least 20 goals. I have known him since playing in Belgium, he has always been a goalscorer but he has improved and scores even more.”
Kebano has flourished since Silva replaced Scott Parker as Fulham boss and admits the new Fulham head coach has unlocked more from him this term.
“Regarding those two, the big difference is that the gaffer is much more demanding than the previous one. He keeps you focused from the first minute to the last, not even of games but training sessions. Slowly you get the habit of always being focused and doing the right things. That gets you in that mood every time on the field.
“He pushes you every time, calls you in the office to show videos whether it’s individual meetings or with the strikers as a group. We had a lot of the possession under Scott Parker, which is the same now but we attack even more. We can counter attack and we can also keep the ball for a few minutes and attack at the right time. They are similar but not the same.”
The likeable winger also feels he has a point to prove in the top flight, but isn’t taking anything for granted.
“Of course. But it is not only for me, it is for most of us still in the group. We have to focus on what we have to achieve first and then we’ll see where we will be, if it is the Premier League it would be something good.”
Kebano is adamant that there are lots of elements of his game that he can improve – and he is striving for more consistency to help fire Fulham’s promotion push.
“As a player you are always improving and learning, mentally you grow. I am a different player. It’s down to the manager you have and what they teach you and also how you get the information they give you. They give you all keys and you have to put the right one in the door, I think I have been able to put some good keys in the right doors.”
