Fulham Sign Smertin

Fulham Football Club has today announced the signing of defensive Russian midfielder Alexey Smertin from Dynamo Moscow on a two and a half year deal that will see the player at the Club until the summer of 2009.

31-year-old Smertin has previously played for Dinamo Barnaul, Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetski, Uralan Elista, Lokomotiv Moscow, Girondins Bordeaux, and Chelsea. He has been capped over 40 times for Russia, including the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 and he was awarded the captaincy in June 2004.

Smertin was taken from Bordeaux to Chelsea by Claudio Ranieri in August 2003 for £3.45m, before spending a loan spell at Portsmouth during the 2003-04 season. After some impressive performances at Fratton Park, most notably in Pompey's 1-0 victory over Manchester United Smertin returned to London after Ranieri had been succeeded by José Mourinho. He then joined Charlton on loan for the 2005-06 season prior to his Chelsea contract being terminated in January 2006, which allowed him to return home and sign a four-year contract with Dynamo Moscow.

This morning Alexey Smertin said:

‘I’m happy to have been able to sort everything out with Dynamo to allow me to come and play in the Premiership again. I had a good experience during my time here previously and I firmly believe more than before that the Premiership is the most challenging domestic competition in world football, so I am very happy to be able to play in it again.’

Speaking prior to the Club’s game against Stoke, the Manager Chris Coleman said:

‘Alexey’s quality speaks for itself and we had to beat off some fierce competition from other Premiership clubs to get his signature, so it’s a feather in our cap that he’s chosen to come here. He is another versatile player, he can play centre midfield, centre back and he reads the game so well with great experience so I’m delighted that he has joined us.

All in all I think we have had a very successful transfer period and I’m looking forward to pushing on now and climbing the table and I’ve no doubt the new additions will help us do that.’