Former Fulham forward Bryan Ruiz has given an interview to the latest edition of Four Four Two discussing his move to Craven Cottage.
The Costa Rican international, who had a largely unfulfilled spell in SW6, revealed that he didn’t originally want to join Martin Jol’s side in the summer of 2011:
“Even before my third season at Twente started, there were already plenty of options for me to leave. Sevilla made an offer, which I was excited about because I’d always dreamed of playing in La Liga. But that didn’t match what Twente wanted. I remember on the last day of the transfer window, Fulham called with an offer.
Honestly, I didn’t want to go at first, but Martin Jol, who’d been Ajax’s manager, convinced me to go to England to see the city and the club. When I got there, I saw Fulham’s facilities, got a feel for English football, and since the manager knew me from the Eredivisie, I felt confident about the move. I don’t regret it – I had some great moments at Fulham and got to play in the best league in the world.”
Ruiz also talks about how he was shipped out by Jol’s successor Rene Meulensteen, as the Whites battled against relegation in 2014.
“The World Cup was around the corner. Costa Rica were already qualified, so for me it was crucial to play those last six months. But I got three minutes in Rene’s first two games. I told him I’d understand if he didn’t want to use me, but I needed to know so I could stay fit for the World Cup. He told me, “Bryan, you’re a great player, but your style isn’t what I need right now to save the team from relegation.” I think he wanted to play a more direct style. So I asked my agent to look for options and I ended up going to PSV for six months.
Fulham had big names like Dimitar Berbatov, Mousa Dembele and John Arne Riise – it was a strong squad, not one you’d expect to be fighting relegation. But it didn’t start well, so they changed the manager and he had a different idea. We all wanted the best for Fulham; it was a big shame.”