Loan arrival keen for season to start

Loan signing Sascha Riether says he cannot wait to sample the Craven Cottage atmosphere as a Fulham player this season.

The 29-year-old defender has joined the Cottagers on a season-long loan from German club Cologne and says he is enjoying his time in England so far as he takes part in pre-season training. He has played at Craven Cottage before, turning out for old club Wolfsburg in a 3-1 aggregate defeat in the Europa League in 2010, and says he is relishing playing there as a home player in the upcoming campaign. He told Fulham's official website: "It was a great stadium, very traditional. And the atmosphere was unbelievable. Wolfsburg lost so it was not good at the time but it was a great experience." He added: "I'm very happy to be here. It's always a great experience to change club and to change to a new country. "In Germany they say the Premier League is the best league in the world and for me it is a great honour to be at a big club with a big tradition like Fulham. "I hope I can help Fulham progress in the right direction. At first, I have to get to know the players, the club, the crowd and the fans. "We want to be successful, I won't say which place we will reach in the league but we will see how we start and I hope we have a good season."