Gray Q&A

Julian, you’ve been at the Club for a couple of months now, how are you finding life at Fulham?

Yeah it’s been pretty good. Everyone has made me feel really welcome, and I get on with all the players, the Manager and the staff. It’s a good club to be part of and having settled I’ve now got to just concentrate on what I can bring to the team.

You spent four years at Crystal Palace before spells at Birmingham and Coventry. Is it good to be back in London?

Definitely. It’s good to be back home, I have missed the place. As you know I was born in London and having played up north for the past four years it’s nice to be playing in the capital and the Premier League again.

You spent the summer preparing for a season with Coventry in the Championship, were you surprised to get a move back to the top flight?

It did come as a shock. Obviously I have belief in my own ability, but the move did come out of the blue. I started the season with Coventry, having played a couple of the early league games, and things were going well. I had a good pre-season with them and was all prepared for the year ahead. Then I got a phone call from the manager, Chris Coleman, and he told me there had been an approach from Fulham and that he wouldn’t stand in my way. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.

The Manager has a lot of coaching experiencing, what has it been like working with him?

It’s been really good. We do a lot of team work and functional play which I like. We’re a good footballing side that likes to pass the ball around and that shows in our training and games at the weekend. The Manager has a lot of experience, so it’s the ideal place to learn and develop your game.

You were a transfer deadline day signing, was it difficult coming in and not having spent pre-season with your new team-mates?

It was a bit difficult at first, mainly because when I joined a lot of the players were on international duty. It would have been nice to have spent pre-season with them, but that wasn’t the case. As I got to know everyone it got a lot easier. I knew AJ, Paul Konchesky and Bobby Zamora, as well as Dickson Etuhu, who also came in over the summer. That’s been good because we’ve helped each other settle. At the end of the day football is football and once you understand how things work around the club you soon slip into place.

Is it a difficult transition going from the Championship to the Premier League?

Well, I’ve played in the Premier League before, so I’m used to the tempo and the standard. It’s the league that every player wants to play in. The Premier League is obviously a lot more technical, and all about ability. The Championship is more hustle and bustle, with the teams more direct and physical. The Premier League suits my game more, because you can get the ball on the ground and play. There’s a bit more skill involved.

Fans haven’t had the chance to see what you’re capable of yet. What will you bring to the team?

I like to get up and down the flanks and start attacks from my own half. I enjoy running at defenders with the ball, and have a fair bit of skill. I like the ball at my feet and can dribble and pass pretty well. Those are the strongest parts of my game and hopefully I will get the chance to show the fans what I can do.

With the busy fixture list over the Christmas and New Year period fast approaching, do you see this as a time to come in and make an impression?

To be honest it’s down to the Manager and not me. It is a busy time, where a lot of games will be played so you never know. I’ll just have to wait and see. I know that I have to wait my turn and when I do get a chance all I can do is make sure that I’m ready to take it.

Do you have your eyes set on a permanent return to the Premier League?

Yeah definitely. Hopefully my loan deal will be made permanent in the summer. We’ll see what the future brings, but ideally I would like to be a Fulham player next season, because as I’ve said I’m enjoying my time here.

And finally, what does the season hold for Julian Gray and Fulham Football Club?

On a personal level I would like to get myself in the team, and if that happens make sure that I’m consistent.

The team is playing good football and we have been extremely unlucky to lose some of the games that we have. We just missing that little bit of luck that other teams seem to be having.

We’ll keep on going and doing the right things, and then I’m confident that the results will come. We have to keep believing because the quality is there and I’m sure we’ll get our reward.