TOM CAIRN DO

Skipper’s tipped for top

FULHAM boss Slavisa Jokanovic wants Tom Cairney to become as influential in the Premier League as he was in the Championship.

The 27-year-old skipper is one of two survivors, along with defender Tim Ream, from Jokanovic’s first game in charge in December 2015.

Cairney has clearly impressed his boss over his subsequent 111 appearances.

He has also attracted attention from established Premier League clubs, with West Ham reportedly bidding £20m for the Scotland midfielder in June.

Learning

Jokanovic says Cairney has improved during his time in charge, but believes there is more to come.

“There is a great difference between Tom Cairney today and when we compare him back two-and-a-half years ago,” said Jokanovic.

“But the learning process never stops and I still believe there exists a big (opening) for him to improve himself. He, like me and like his team-mates, needs to make another extra step. He has improved definitely but now there is another challenge in front of him.

“He cannot be satisfied. He needs to push himself to become an important player at a different level.

“Definitely, this is one player with some strengths and weaknesses, like me and his team-mates, and he needs to work in this way to improve and be important in the Premier League as he showed us he could be important in the Championship.”

Fulham host Burnley tomorrow and Jokanovic has resisted any comparison between the two clubs beyond the fact that both will have to fight hard to be successful.

“They are different places, different players, different club, different situation,” he added.

“Generally theirs has been a great experience, a romantic way that they chose and found a successful achievement so credit to their team.

“But in football, memory doesn’t exist and we are going to try to look to make them some kind of damage – starting this afternoon.”