During an assured punditry debut on Sky Sports’ Soccer Special last night, Fulham captain Tom Cairney said keeping hold of Joao Palhinha was ‘vital’ for the club’s fortunes.

Cairney, who was in the Sky studio to provide updates on his former club Blackburn Rovers’ Championship clash with Sunderland, told presenter Jools Warren that the Portuguese midfielder was pivotal to Fulham’s success under Marco Silva.

“It [keeping Palhinha despite deadline day interest from Bayern Munich] is vital. He’s probably the best off the ball central midfield player I’ve ever seen. His reaction as soon as we lose it is second to none. The tackles he makes … he doesn’t just get there and put pressure on, he goes and wins the ball. He’s bit a old school – you wouldn’t class him as Portuguese would you, really the way he flies in? He’s been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League and if you get linked with Bayern Munich in your first season, you know you’ve done something special”.