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Jimmy Bullard |
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Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard wants to stay at Craven Cottage despite being at loggerheads with the club regarding a new contract.
Talismanic midfield star Jimmy Bullard has said his contract wrangle with Fulham will not affect his commitment to the club on the pitch when the Cottagers kick-off their Premier League campaign at the KC Stadium against newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday.
Bullard has been in negotiations with the South-West London club for some time regarding an extension to his current contract, which has two years left to run.
Fulham, though, are apparently reluctant to talk terms.
Nevertheless, Bullard, 29, just wants to get back to playing football.
He told The Guardian: “They are not willing to give me a longer contract yet so I’ve got no option but to get my head down and play for Fulham.
“Let’s get one thing straight - I have always wanted to sign for Fulham and I still have two years here anyway.
“There will hopefully come a time when we can sort something out about extending it.”
Bullard missed the first sizeable chunk of last season while recovering from knee ligament damage, but he returned to fitness and was instrumental in inspiring Fulham’s miraculous survival in the top flight after they’d looked almost dead and buried with a couple of matches to go.
The former Wigan and West Ham midfielder reckons a punishing pre-season programme has set him up nicely for the coming season.
“My knee will never be the same,” he revealed. “I’m not saying it won’t be as strong but it will never be the same.
“I get a different style of movement from it now as the ligaments are different.
“The first three or four games back last season it was strange but now I’m used to it.
“In fact my leg is stronger than ever - I’ve had tests done and my right is stronger than my left.”