Dickson Etuhu: Fulham Colleague Danny Murphy Is Best I've Worked With

Mild criticism was levelled against Roy Hodgson and Fulham for allowing starting midfielder Jimmy Bullard to leave Craven Cottage for Hull City for a meagre £5 million in the January transfer window, but the manner in which Dickson Etuhu has stepped-up and struck a formidable partnership with Danny Murphy has quelled any notions that the shrewd coach got things wrong.

Etuhu has even gone to the lengths to suggest that Murphy is the best player he has had the fortune to partner.

"Danny has so much quality and he’s helped me immensely," Etuhu informed the club's official website. "He gives his team-mates a lot of confidence and you can’t fail to learn from his example.

"I love playing alongside him and it’s a combination that works well. We understand each other so well so I would like to think that will continue. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t. We both know how the other works and I think you can see that when we play.

"It’s amazing just how good a player he is, and we see that every day in training. He’s done a lot in his career, and won a lot of trophies, but he’s as dedicated as they come. He always wants to be the best that he can and that rubs off on the rest of us."

Etuhu continued, "When I first came to the Club I always thought it would be better moving Danny forward, because at the time he was playing in a deeper role with Jimmy [Bullard] more advanced. I’m naturally defensive, so when I came in it allowed him to get on the ball a bit more and get himself into more dangerous positions – positions where he can hurt teams.

"It works throughout the team. It’s the same for Brede [Hangeland] and Aaron [Hughes] at the back, and then Bobby [Zamora] and AJ [Andy Johnson] up-front too. It’s massively important to have a playing partner that you understand, and understands you. A lot of clubs in the Premier League have such big squads it can be difficult to find that understanding, but fortunately at Fulham we have that opportunity – and it works very well." 

Alan Dawson, Goal.com