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Tom Cairney has reacted to the news that he won more man-of-the-match awards than any other Fulham player this season.
The 32-year-old posted the stat on his Instagram story after Fulham shared the news.
It’s been a fantastic season for Marco Silva’s side.
Few fans would have predicted a top-half finish after Fulham’s constant yo-yoing between the Premier League and Championship.
Fulham recruited brilliantly last summer with the likes of Joao Palhinha and Bernd Leno elevating the side.
The Whites lost Fabio Carvalho to Liverpool, but replaced him with Andreas Pereira and the youngster may already be regretting his move.
Fulham’s new recruits have meant that Tom Cairney has had to settle with starting on the bench for much of the season.
Cairney has been called upon in almost every match to help Fulham either see out a positive result or chase a game.
The Scottish international was regularly starting games in cup competitions and earning plaudits for his performances.
His goal against Sunderland in the FA Cup in particular stands out as one of the moments of the season.
Cairney reacts to Fulham Man of the Match award
Fulham’s club captain was voted man of the match five times throughout the course of the season.
Joao Palhinha, Antonee Robinson and Aleksandar Mitrovic all played more minutes than Cairney but won the award on four occasions.
Reacting to the news on Instagram, Cairney said: “That’s actually wild! Best super sub since Ole Gunner Solskjaer. Only messing appreciate the love.”
It will be interesting to see how much of a future Cairney has at Fulham.
His contract expires next summer and at 33 it’s unlikely he’ll sign a long-term extension.
Silva was full of praise for Cairney towards the end of the season as he came into the side following Andreas Pereira’s injury.
“Tom is always a player that can give us the calmness to start the game, even some moments under pressure he can give us what we need,” said Silva.
“Of course, he knows I am pushing him to arrive in certain areas, to be between the lines.
“In some moments, first and second phase, we need players like him to start well, but when the game goes forward and we are in our defensive half, we need him to arrive in certain areas as well.”
Cairney will hope he’s got a few more man-of-the-match awards left to win while at Fulham.
After three promotions as captain, even if Cairney doesn’t reach the magic ten years at the club, he should be rewarded with a testimonial at Craven Cottage when his spell at the club comes to an end.
