Throwback: Fulham’s Player of the Month Winners
Written by Cameron Ramsey on 13th February 2018
With Ryan Sessegnon taking home the EFL Player of the Month Award for January, our man Cameron Ramsey had a look back at the other Fulham players who have taken home the gongs in the past, to see what company the boy wonder is in.
It’s been coming, but after a scintillating season so far with the Club’s crest on his heart, Ryan Sessegnon laid claim to the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month gong for January, a personal accolade which undoubtedly makes him the youngest player to have ever been crowned such, at the tender age of just 17.
With 11 goals and 4 assists in 33 appearances this term in all competitions to his name, who knows what tally the exhilarating teenager could end up registering come the end of the campaign and maybe, just maybe, he’ll be nominated for yet more personal success in the coming months as Fulham juggernaut towards supremacy on their push for promotion, with his influence being a major factor.
But apart from Sess, who else has achieved the same recognition in the famous white jersey in recent years? There’s only one way to find out – here’s three past Fulham favourites who have also been named ‘Player of the Month’ to marvel upon with a steaming hot beverage and a glowing, contagious sense of smug satisfaction.
Louis Saha – Premier League Player of the Month, August 2001
In his and Fulham’s first month in the Premier League, Louis Saha was labelled as the top-flight’s best performer for August after netting 3 goals for the Whites, 2 of which came against Manchester United in an encounter which saw Jean Tigana’s men lose 3-2 at Old Trafford, despite the enigmatic Frenchman’s valiant efforts to slay the domineering English giants.
In the 2001-02 season’s opening month, the Cottagers snatched 4 points from their opening 3 fixtures with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at Craven Cottage – where Saha also bagged a solitary goal – and a 0-0 draw against Derby County.
Not a bad start with all considered, and Fulham’s beloved striker certainly deserved his award for his initial input in the south-west Londoners maiden season in the big time.
Mark Schwarzer – Premier League Player of the Month, February 2010
An ever dependable figure between the sticks for Fulham during his eventful stint down by the river, the towering Australian keeper – after an impressive array of displays which saw his keep 4 clean sheets in 5 PL outings – was named as February’s Player of the Month in 2010, during a season where the Cottagers took Europe by storm.
Domestic affairs aside, the veteran stopper also thwarted Shakhtar Donetsk’s advances at the Donbass Arena with a string of world-class saves, heroics which meant that he and his teammates ultimately progressed to the last-16 stage of the competition at the then European Cup holder’s expense, of course.
Sone Aluko – Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month, October 2016
With 1 goal and 3 assists chalked, Sone Aluko was presented as October’s Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month in 2016, a month where Slavisa Jokanovic’s men ultimately grabbed 7 points out of a possible 12, with one of the two victories coming against Huddersfield, in a 5-0 drubbing where Aluko supplied all three of the cited assists.
Aluko, speaking to the Club’s official website, conveyed his glee in receiving the ‘team’ honour by saying: “Ultimately I think it’s a team award. I wouldn’t get this award if the team weren’t winning and it’s a credit to my teammates and all the staff who have provided me with a platform to play well on.”
It’s a real pity he’s now languishing at Jaap Stam’s uninspiring, hapless Reading, aye?
