Sessegnon unflustered by Spurs bid

Ryan Sessegnon, the Fulham prodigy, is already a target of Premier League heavyweights and his teammate, Kevin Mcdonald, predicted that the 17-year-old could go right to the top after this latest display.

Tottenham Hotspur were close to breaking the record transfer fee for an English teenager last month, when they bid up to £25 million for Sessegnon, which was rejected by Fulham. That clearly has not affected the mindset of the England Under-19 player, who scored here on his first appearance since the end of the transfer window, slotting in from 10 yards.

Versatile Sessegnon, known for being a left-back, is being moulded into a more attacking player.

Mcdonald, captaining Fulham in the absence of injured Tom Cairney, said: “Every time we attack, I always feel like ‘Sess’ looks the most likely to score. And he’s composed. When he gets a chance, he normally takes a good amount of his chances.

“Of course, I can see why there’s such a fuss about him. You can see it from a mile off. If he keeps his feet on the ground, there’s no doubt that he’ll play at the top. I can’t explain to you how confident he is. When I was 16, 17, I’m sure I was mental but he’s a really quiet kid.

“If he needs advice, he’ll ask. He’ll come and pull you for a oneon-one. He knows what he’s doing for that age. He’s a really clever kid.”

Sessegnon had been threatening to score before his 75th-minute strike, when he pounced after Floyd Ayite’s initial effort was blocked. It was not the winner though, as Danny Ward headed in to rescue leaders Cardiff City, who remain unbeaten.

Ward said: “I certainly think we have the squad to get in the shakeup if we keep this form up.”

Fulham