Joachim Andersen has thoroughly enjoyed his time as a member of the Fulham family, though naturally he regrets how his time in SW6 ultimately concluded.
“For me it’s been a fantastic year personally,” he told the official website. “To come here, to the Premier League, captain a club like Fulham, and just be able to develop and show what I can do as a player, has been amazing.
“Of course it’s not nice that we’re relegated, but that’s how it is sometimes. My goal was to keep the Club in the Premier League but also to show what I can do, so I hope at least one of those I did.
“Last year I was in a period where I was not happy with my situation at Lyon, so to get the opportunity here and rebuild myself in a way and to take some more steps in my career, has been something that I’ll always remember and be thankful for.
“From that view, it’s been an important part of my development.
“I think we played a really good season actually, there was just some small margins that meant we didn’t make it.
“We didn’t score enough goals, that’s the truth and that’s how it is sometimes in football. But I think the way we’ve been playing and the way we’ve been going into the games has been really good.
“I felt good in almost every game. That’s why I’m really disappointed, because we really felt that we could have won every game.
“Relegation took some days to sink in. Honestly it was really horrible. It’s my first relegation ever so it was also a personal defeat.
“Of course, you always want to win, and when that’s not the case you’ll always feel a little guilty in some way.”
Joachim Andersen
Some eyebrows were raised when Andersen was given the captain’s armband in the absence of Tom Cairney just four games into his Fulham career.
It’s relatively unheard of for a loan player to be given such responsibility, but Andersen immediately proved himself to be a worthy skipper, and for that he is forever grateful to Scott Parker.
“He’s been really important for me, and also the whole staff,” Andersen explained. “The way they work is the same kind of football vision I have, so it’s nice to share these same thoughts with each other.
“Sometimes you click with people, and I felt that immediately with the staff here.
“The captaincy was of course a big surprise for me because I don’t think it’s been the case ever at any club. It’s been unbelievable and something that I’m really proud of.
“To get that trust from the Gaffer is something that I’ll always be thankful for. He really helped me a lot to develop and to be a better player and a better leader, so that’s been really amazing for me.”
Andersen’s performances at the back were of such a high calibre that it led some fans to compare his impact to the one made by fellow Scandinavian Brede Hangeland when he first arrived.
“That’s a big compliment,” he admitted. “I know Hangeland because he played in Copenhagen, I know him quite well.
“It’s huge for me to feel that love from the fans, and I will never forget the way they’ve been supporting me this season.
We can't show you this embedded content because you've only accepted 'essential' cookies. To view it, please accept all cookies
“I can really feel the love from them through social media. They send me a lot of messages and of course that makes me really happy.
“That’s what I’m trying to do, I’m trying to play my best game, and the fact that they like that is the biggest compliment you can get in football I think.
“We play for the fans. You’ve seen this year that with the fans not there it’s not the same, so them showing that relationship is really important for me.”
