MARK SCHWARZER
In terms of experience, both at Premier League and International level, Schwarzer undoubtedly leads the way out of Fulham’s summer signings to-date. Captured on a free transfer from Middlesbrough, the Australian shot stopper’s genuine consistency between the sticks and commanding presence behind the back four will no doubt prove to be a massive coup for Hodgson’s squad going into the new campaign.
After spells in Germany with Dynamo Dresden and Kaiserslautern, Mark made the move to England. Though he did not start in the Premier League straight away, his first break came with West Yorkshire based club Bradford City, who at the time were in Division One (now the Football League Championship). His performances for the Bantams were noticed early on and it ensured he was at Valley Parade for just one season, with Middlesbrough securing his signature in the summer of ’97.
Mark enjoyed an excellent 10 years at The Riverside, helping Boro to the most successful period in their history. He helped bring the League Cup to Middlesbrough, thus handing the club its first silverware in their history. Perhaps one of Schwarzer’s biggest moments was his penalty save from Robbie Fowler on the last day of the 2004/05 season. The save ensured that Boro would take part in the Uefa Cup. That following season Boro got to the final of the Uefa Cup, though they lost to a very impressive Sevilla side.
Towards the end of last season Mark indicated that the 2007/08 campaign would be his last for Middlesbrough. There were no shortage of clubs interested in his signature, with Bayern Munich and Juventus touted as possible destinations. Yet Schwarzer decided to remain in the Premier League and Fulham, London would be his desired choice.
ZOLTAN GERA
Another free transfer for Fulham, but another very astute capture by Roy Hodgson as he arguable sealed the signing of the Championships best performer throughout last season. Gera was at the forefront in West Brom’s drive for promotion last season, and their loss will undoubtedly be the Whites gain.
Gera hails from Hungarian and it was in his National League that he made a name for himself. During four seasons with Ferencvaros he established them as one of the top sides in the league and in his final season with them won the League and Cup double. In all he made 115 appearances and scored 32 goals. His performances as an attacking midfielder attracted a lot of attention from clubs all round Europe yet it was newly promoted Premier League side West Bromwich Albion who invested £1.5m to bring him to The Hawthorns.
Zoltan enjoyed a strong first campaign in the Premier League as he became the only player in the West Brom side to appear in all 38 league games; he also managed to get on the scoresheet on six occasions. He played an integral part in West Brom’s dramatic escape from relegation that season.
The Baggies were relegated the following season but despite this Gera committed himself to the club, vowing to help them regain their Premier League status. Once again last season his performances shone through for the club as Tony Mowbray’s side sealed the Championship title. With Gera’s contract ending this summer, the Hungarian (three time Hungarian Player of the Year – 2002, 2004 and 2005) decided that a new challenge awaited him. This came in the form of a move south to SW6.
ANDRANIK
With his contract expiring at Bolton, Fulham saw the chance to bolster their defensive midfield options by bringing the Iranian international to Craven Cottage. In signing Andranik, Hodgson carried on his trend of bringing international players to the Club with proven Premier League experience.
Having cut his teeth in Iran’s Azadegan League and then their Pro League (second and first tier respectively), Andranik got a dream move to the premier League when Bolton signed him on a two year deal in August 2006 having been granted a work permit for his services. It wasn’t uncommon for Andranik to be used as a sub but when he did start he seemed to play a prominent role. His first two Premier League goals came during a 3-1 win over Wigan.
With the arrival Gary Megson at the helm at the Reebok Stadium, a number of established stars such as Ivan Campo and Stelios Giannakopoulos left the club. During this summer it was revealed that Andranik would not be offered new terms at Bolton. This alerted a number of clubs to his free transfer status; having had talks with Fulham he put pen-to-paper on a two year deal at Craven Cottage on June 12.
DAVID STOCKDALE
Probably the least experienced of the four signings to date, yet nevertheless Stockdale arrives at Fulham with the reputation of a goalkeeper with a lot of potential. Although he will be battling it out against the likes of Mark Schwarzer and Antti Niemi, David undoubtedly has the potential to enjoy some game time with the First team this season.
Stockdale progressed through the youth ranks at York City and despite making his debut for the club on the final day of the 2002-03 season, chances were as regular as he may have hoped. Brief loan spells with Wakefield & Emley and Worksop Town ultimately culminated in a disappointing season for Stockdale in 2005-06.
Darlington signed the youngster during the summer of 2006, initially as cover for Andy Oakes. On the opening day of the 2007-08 season Oakes was sent off and Stockdale stepped into the fray. Such were the youngster’s performances that he became the preferred choice as number one. In a really successful season Stockdale, he made 40 appearances for the club.
As is always the way though, when you perform to such a high standard other team takes interest and although there was a lot of interest reported from Premier League clubs it was Fulham that made a concrete offer and brought the keeper to London at the beginning of June.
