Fulham captain Tom Cairney is determined to help lead the club back into the Premier League after signing a contract extension.
Midfielder Cairney, 28, has agreed terms to stay at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2024, with the option of a year’s extension.
Cairney joined the west London club in 2015 from Blackburn and has gone on to make 161 appearances, scoring 28 goals – including the one which took the club up in last season’s Championship final.
The midfielder is determined to help Fulham mount a successful promotion campaign again next season following their relegation.
“The club has been amazing to me, and to extend my contract again is an amazing feeling. I want to stay for a long time, and hopefully finish my career here,” Cairney told fulhamfctv.
“This place feels like home. I don’t think you can put a price on happiness, and your life off the pitch as well, and I can’t see myself anywhere else.
“I feel like I’ve got unfinished business. I want to stay here and I want to get the club back to the Premier League.
“I want to bounce straight back next season. I know how hard the Championship is, but knowing our owners and how ambitious the club is, I’m sure we’ll give it a good go.”
Retaining Cairney is a statement of intent from Fulham, whose relegation was confirmed at the start of April.
Fulham vice chairman Tony Khan said on the club website: “Tom loves this club, our staff and our supporters.
“This season has been difficult for all of us, but as we look to regroup and start the fight to earn back our place in the Premier League, I don’t know a better person to set things right and lead this squad back again than Tom.”
Fulham caretaker-manager Scott Parker has challenged his side to go to Wolves on Saturday and prove their Premier League campaign was not all bad as they seek a fourth successive win.
Parker replaced Claudio Ranieri at the end of February, but was unable to prevent the long expected drop out of the top flight.
While there has, as yet, been no official confirmation of who will be at the helm for next season’s push to regain Fulham’s elite status, Parker believes the players can lay down a marker with a positive display at Molineux.
“The weekend is another opportunity for us to go out there again and prove to a lot of people – and I include people close to us, fans and people who have been disappointed this season in our performances – that we can compete and we can get results in this division, and that we are good enough,” Parker said.
“We have got a squad which is more than good enough to compete at this level and have shown that over the last few weeks.
“The biggest thing is maintaining that and keeping that level that we have set the last three weeks.
“Over time the performances have actually been pretty good, but you get judged on results and the last three weeks’ results have been pretty good to be fair.”
