João Palhinha insists he is ‘fully focused’ on helping Fulham go from strength to strength after committing his future to the club following the disappointment of the collapse of his deadline day move to Bayern Munich.

The holding midfielder’s decision to sign a new five-year contract at Craven Cottage was viewed as a surprise given that Bayern were rumoured to be preparing to return with an offer in January, but in a frank interview with Fulham FC TV, the Portuguese midfielder reiterated his happiness at Fulham and highlighted his special bond with the fans as a key reason for extending his deal.

Palhinha told FFCTV:

“I feel happy. A lot of history happened these few weeks for me, you heard a lot of things about my future, but I’m just focused on my work at Fulham. I always have 100 per cent commitment with this Club, I have all the respect for the Club, for the fans. Since the first day, they supported me a lot, and me and my family felt this since the first moment that I arrived here.

I will give everything that I have. It was always like that, on the field, outside of the field, in our dressing room with my teammates. I have a lot of respect for everyone here in Fulham and I am ready to start again, to give all my best, and I want to achieve good things.”

Directly addressing the events of transfer deadline day, the former Sporting midfielder said:

“I have my mind completely clean because I give everything since the first time I put [on] the Fulham shirt. The respect, the commitment I have with the club was present always. Of course, I cannot lie. We have dreams: the dream in football is to play for the best clubs in the world and people need to see and put the other position. The things didn’t happen … now I’m focused on Fulham again. If the things don’t happen, I can’t do anything now – I need just to keep my work, to give everything that I have like I have in the past and try to achieve good things together with my team-mates and all the staff. If I had this opportunity, it was because of them as well. If I didn’t make a collective good season with my team-mates, the opportunity that I had didn’t appear. I’m focused on the present and to help Fulham grow the club again.”

I have a great relationship with the supporters of Fulham. I want to keep this forever in my life, wherever I go because I will not forget the support, all the songs they sing with my name. My family felt this support for me in the stands. I am grateful for the passion and everything that the people give me inside of the pitch. I’m honest with you, I’m speaking with my heart. I’m happy here, of course. I never lied, I never lied about my future, my situation. The people that doesn’t know just focus on the news: but sometimes the news is true, sometimes not true. The most important thing for me is the present and I’m ready to start again.

The Portuguese international also shared his delight at the news that his midfield partner, Harrison Reed, had put pen to paper on a new four-yeasr deal as well.

“I’m happy for him as well. I think the club need to keep the players who have built a big team and Harrison is one of them. Harrison is an excellent player, excellent professional and I want to see Harrison and more of my team-mates to sign renewals because they help the club grow in the last few years. They need to keep them and start again to build big things.”