When Peter Moller left the French city
of Nantes with the Denmark team in July 1998 he thought his career was about to
really take-off. They had just missed out on a World Cup semi-final place after
being beaten 3-2 by the 1994 winners Brazil. As the other Danish players consoled
themselves with their good showing in the tournament, Moller was thinking of his
next challenge.
Within a month the striker had moved from PSV Eindhoven to Spanish Primera Liga
side Real Oviedo for £1.9 million and believed his star was in the ascendancy.
But it has not worked out as he had hoped and, after two-and-a-half seasons as
a bit part player, he decided to get out.
Last week the 28-year-old joined Fulham on loan until the end of the season and
is looking for a permanent transfer to Craven Cottage.
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Peter
Moller hoping to make good at Fulham |
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Tonight he should play against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road as Jean Tigana's
team continue their charge for promotion to the Premiership.
'It has not worked out the way I wanted at Oviedo for me because I have not been
playing enough from the beginning,' he said. 'I joined them from PSV Eindhoven
when I was on a high after a good World Cup in 1998 when we got to the quarter-final.
It was a good offer and I thought it would be a good experience so I took the
chance. But the language was a problem for the first seven or eight months because
I could not speak Spanish and I ended up going to training knowing I had no chance
of playing. 'It all depends on the trainer and if he trusts you. As a striker
you just need to be playing and scoring. If you are just coming off the bench
for the last 20 minutes it is like a lottery. 'That is what happened to me. I
have played in the national team and the Champions League and I can do well if
I get a chance to get back on track. 'So when I got the opportunity to go to Fulham
I thought it would be a good change, a chance to get my spirit back because I
was a little bit down.
'I might have to go back to Spain for the last year of my contract but I would
prefer not to.'
The opportunity for Moller to move to Fulham arose because Tigana's team were
suffering a minor striker crisis.
For the 1-0 loss against Birmingham on Saturday when Moller made his debut, Fulham
were without Barry Hayles, who has an ankle injury, and the suspended Louis Saha
and Luis Boa Morte. All three are among the First Division's top scorers but Tigana
wanted more cover with only Karl-Heinz Riedle - who has been out with a shoulder
injury for most of the season - in reserve.
'I knew they had three good strikers doing well and it will be difficult when
they are all fit and ready,' Moller said. 'But, hopefully, I can play and get
back up to the higher level I am capable of. 'I spoke with Fulham's Bjarne Goldbaek,
who is also Danish, before I decided to come here and he sold the club to me.
He told me Fulham are going to be something good, the atmosphere is good and so
is the training. 'I saw how well Fulham were doing in the league and knew all
about Tigana as a player and as a coach at Monaco.
'Coming to England is also like coming home because I can speak the language and
the game may suit me a bit better than the Spanish style.
'Their football is quite technical with a lot of short passing and in England
it is a bit more physical. I am six foot four inches tall, have a good left foot
and can run a lot. I do not have a favourite system either and, hopefully, I can
do well and get a contract here.'
Despite Fulham's passing style, Tigana appears to feel the need to have a big
target man in attack.
He made an unsuccessful bid for Anderlecht's 6ft 7in Czech striker Jan Koller
earlier in the season and has now taken on Moller. Hayles, Boa Morte and Saha
are all quick, tricky attackers who love to drop deep and run at defenders. But
Fulham did not have a striker whose natural game is to hold the ball up and lay
it off for others until Moller arrived. The Dane, who previously interested Wimbledon
and Derby and is a close friend of Watford's Allan Nielsen, was not an instant
success on Saturday. But he may have more luck at struggling QPR tonight when
he is set to partner the returning Saha. Gerry Francis' team have no new injury
worries but Karl Konnolly may return to the starting line-up after a groin injury.
Moller, who still hopes to regain the national team place he lost while at Oviedo,
added: 'It has always been an ambition of mine to play in England because it is
so big in Denmark.
'I will do everything I can to help Fulham get promoted and if the team does well
hopefully that means I will be playing well too.'