Last Updated: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:55
Mahamadou Diarra has spoken of his move to Fulham and claims Martin Jol's personality and tactics was the key to his decision.
The 30-year-old former Lyon midfielder joined the Cottagers late last month, penning a deal until the end of the season with an option of extending it by a further year.
Diarra, who once cost Spanish giants Real Madrid a reported £22million, has been without a club since leaving Monaco last summer and admitted on his arrival at Craven Cottage that he wants to resurrect his career in the Premier League.
It was a looked upon as a real coup for the Londoners to secure the services of Diarra and the player has confirmed that the lure of playing under Jol was a big reason behind his choice.
He told the club's website: "The way Martin Jol spoke to me on the phone initially convinced me to come here.
"Another reason why I came here is because I know he likes his teams to play football. That's why I said Fulham was the best Club for me if I want to play football. But I already knew this before when I watched them on television.
"Players like Andy Johnson, like Danny Murphy, like Mousa Dembele, like Clint Dempsey - they all like to play. So I had to come to give my little talent to also show how I can work!
"I knew Martin Jol before he knew me and I knew his mentality. He likes to spend time with the players, he loves to be close to his players and he likes to give confidence to his players."
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