Fulham defender Jon Harley declared his determination to make the most of the departure of defensive rival Rufus Brevett as he admitted how he has had to toughen up to cope with his fall from grace.

During a flourishing start to his career at Chelsea just a couple of seasons ago Harley was tipped as the potential answer to England's left-sided problems before the emergence of Ashley Cole.

Fulham defender Jon Harley hoping for a fresh start

Jon Harley Stories

However, he lost his place in the Chelsea side and was then sold to Fulham, where he experienced similar trouble in gaining a regular first-team spot.

"When I first came in, I was playing a lot and buzzing. Everyone was saying a lot of nice things about me and I was loving it. But the second that everything changed, my form dipped with it," he reflected.

"When I came to Fulham, it was the same situation and I hardly played at all. But now I've realised I've got to be stronger mentally to cope with that. It has toughened me up."

Harley is still only 23 and his recent loan spell at Sheffield United, where he helped to boost the club's bid for promotion to the Premiership, has finally helped to rebuild his confidence.

"I was quite down as it was really frustrating not to be playing regularly but I went to Sheffield and I loved every minute of it. Now I've come back feeling a lot more confident," he added.

Communication with Jean Tigana is hardly what it should be, with Harley admitting he had not even spoken to his manager about his future after returning from his loan spell.

However, the sale of left-back rival Brevett to West Ham just before the transfer window closed meant that Harley returned to the Fulham starting line-up at Arsenal on Saturday.

And despite his frustration at the way in which his side conceded a last-minute winner to Robert Pires, he believes this could now be his best-ever chance to make his mark at the club.

"It's up to the manager. If I continue to get a chance, I will just have to do as well as I can and try to keep my place in the team," he declared.

"If I play every week, my confidence gets high. I would love to be playing every game possible."

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