Making the Breakthrough

First of all, Eddie, welcome back to Fulham. You were away for most of last season, is it good to be back?

Yes it is. Last season at Cardiff City was a great experience, but, of course, it’s nice to be back at Fulham – the club that brought me to the Premier League.

Cardiff was nice, but London is a great place to be. Fulham is a fantastic club to play for and I think I missed the dressing room the most because we have a great group of players here. It would have been nice to be part of what the team experienced last year, but that said, the Cardiff opportunity was also a positive experience.

How did you find your time in Wales? Rumour has it you built up quite a cult following at Ninian Park?
Well, the nine months that I was there, more than anything, gave me the opportunity to get used to English football. It was good because Cardiff had a very good season and they counted themselves unlucky that they didn’t make it to the Play-Offs.

I think they have a very good team and hopefully they will have a good season this year. My time there was a little up and down at the start, but I showed the fans that I was committed, I got my head down and I think they appreciated that. They really got behind me in the end and it was great hearing them chanting my name and waving American flags. From a mental point of view, the loan helped me a lot. It was good for me because it opened my eyes to another style of football. Believe me, the Championship is a very tough league, it was a good education.

You joined Fulham in January 2008, yet our fans have seen very little of you. How do you think you have developed as a player in that time?
I think it’s really been about getting used to English football. It’s a lot more physical over here than it is in America and defenders are very physical. At first I found it difficult to have a defender on my back for 90 minutes, but a season in the Championship has helped with that.

I think I have developed as a player and it’s been a simple transition. I’ve just gone back to what I was doing before I came to Fulham – the things that got me noticed in the first place. I’ve been scoring goals, getting behind defenders and just getting my form back really. The feedback has been good and I think I showed people what I was capable of. Hopefully now I can show the Fulham fans what I can do.

You’ve impressed during pre-season, are you determined to make an impression this season?
Pre-season went really well for me – it gave me a chance to look at what I need to be doing. The Manager told me that he signed me for a reason and that I have everything that he is looking for, it’s just a matter of me putting those aspects into practice. Competing with four top strikers, I had to be sharp to get a chance and Australia gave me that opportunity. I’ve enjoyed being a Fulham player again. It’s been a really enjoyable summer for me.

Talking of which, you seem to be enjoying yourself on the training pitch. We watched you celebrate a goal like you had just single-handedly won the World Cup…
[Laughs] Whether it’s in a stadium or on the training pitch I just love scoring goals. I love getting up and coming to training, it’s a good environment to be in. I’m a goalscorer, and if I’m honest, the last 18 months haven’t been great in that sense – I’ve missed that feeling of sticking the ball in the back of the net. In the past I’ve possibly lacked a bit of confidence, but I have that again now and I have a feeling that it’s going to be a good year for me.

I’ve been treating every training session as if it’s a proper game, and I’m more focused than ever because I know it’s on the training ground where I’m going to make the Manager take notice. Dave Jones at Cardiff said to me, “if you can’t score in training, how do you expect to score on a Saturday?” And he’s right… It was a good goal though!

With fixtures coming thick and fast, are you confident this could be the season in which you make your breakthrough?
Well, I want to show Fulham fans that I am here for a reason. I’m here to score goals, make a difference and play an important role. When I came to the Club we were fighting relegation, and it was difficult to come into that situation. But everything is a lot calmer and more positive now, and that rubs off on everyone. It looks like it will be another exciting season and I’m committed to helping the Club to another successful year. I’m playing in the best league in the world with a great team – so I have to be ready for the challenge.