Tom Cairney has signed a new long-term deal at Fulham which will see him commit his future to the club until 2021.

A superb season for Cairney

Cairney enjoyed a great season with Fulham last time out under the management of Slaviša Jokanović. He joined the club in June 2015 from Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee and has since proved to be a very astute addition.

However, it was in the 2016-17 season where Cairney really stood out and arguably became one of the best players in the Championship. He scored 13 goals from midfield for the Cottagers last season which saw him named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

This meant that the 26-year-old clearly had a key role to play in Fulham finishing in the play-off places last season in sixth place.

However, it was not to be for the London outfit as they lost over two-legs to Reading in the semi-finals to deny them a trip to Wembley and ended their dreams of a return to the Premier League.

Despite this, Cairney did still perform well in the play-offs and scored Fulham's equaliser in the first leg.

Strongly linked with Premier League switch

The midfielder's impressive season has not gone unnoticed and he was said to have received interest from a host of Premier League and Championship clubs.

However, he has decided against a move as he opts to remain at Craven Cottage to continue his rapid progression.

Back in June, Jokanović claimed that the club had turned down a £20 million bid from Newcastle United for Cairney. Aston Villa were also said to be interested but could not offer top flight football.

Fulham have now been rewarded for turning down these offers as Cairney has now shown his commitment to the cause by pledging his future to the club.

A big season ahead

It is certainly a big season ahead for Cairney as he looks to help Fulham get back to the Premier League.

The club are now entering their fourth consecutive year in the Championship since their relegation from the top-flight in the 2013-14 season.

However, for Cairney it is difficult to see him playing his football anywhere other than the top-flight in 2018-19 if he replicates his performances from last season, and Fulham fans will be hoping it will be with their club that he does so.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Sam Straw
VAVEL Championship Editor. Journalism Student at The University of Sheffield. Nottingham Forest Season-Ticket Holder. Contributing to VAVEL UK since October 2016.