Harrison Reed’s tweet after reaching a hundred Fulham appearances rather summed up why he has become an essential part of the Whites’ engine room.

Many more to come ?? https://t.co/i2cv1S39zZ

— Harrison Reed (@HarrisonReed) April 23, 2022

The energetic midfielder is Fulham’s finest reader of danger and quickly became a favourite of the fans at Craven Cottage after making the move from Southampton, initially on loan. You might think he is made for the chaos of the Championship – particularly because of his penchant for putting a foot in to pinch possess back – but the ginger from Worthing, as the latest attempt at serenading the unflappable midfielder, looked accomplished even as Fulham struggled in the top flight last season – remaining a regular despite the return of Andre-Frank Anguissa and the signings of Mario Lemina and Reuben Loftus-Cheek. There was a compelling case to be made for Reed to win Fulham’s player of the season award.

Reed has always struck me as most at home as a classic holding midfielder, fulfilling a duel role of screening the back four and reading the play to position himself and repel any danger. It was as what it is commonly described these days as ‘the number six’ – matching his new squad number – that he excelled at Queens Park Rangers earlier this month, deployed deeper than Tom Cairney and Fabio Carvalho, a pair of midfielders much more comfortable with the ball at their feet than without it, and broke up the home side’s forward raids with relish. That seems like the position where Reed will be most effective at the highest level and where Marco Silva’s accent on attack will come under most stress.

But so underrated is Reed’s ability in possession, you can see why Silva has at times looked to refine his role into a more advanced one. Arguably, his best display in that position came in the crucial win at Middlesbrough also in April – where his ceaseless shuttling across the pitch also saw him popping up in threatening positions in the final third. He was the most successful passer on the field, still mopped up magnificently in defensive situations, and his will to win saw him spring from the floor after a clash with Matt Crooks and run almost 60 yards before delivering a delicious cross that Aleksandar Mitrovic headed straight at the goalkeeper.

Reed’s tenacity remains his most endearing attribute. In a Fulham side that sometimes seem passive when the opposition are breaking, Reed does all the dirty work that often goes unseen. He leads by example – and must be a manager’s dream. His relentless work ethic is a major asset and Reed is clearly loving having found a permanent home after not being able to prove his potential at St. Mary’s. The reliability of both his radar and engine can’t be questioned and his importance to the side, as he has become an almost automatic selection again under Silva, prompts comparisons to the likes of Stan Brown. The only thing that has been missing in his first hundred Fulham games has been a goal – the closest he came was the shot that struck the base of the post at Goodison Park. Fittingly, Josh Maja followed up to score the clinching second goal.

That might just encapsulate Reed’s quietly effective Fulham career. Not often in the limelight, but absolutely essential. Just like the man himself, I hope there’s much more to come.