Fulham keeper Leno is Silva’s ‘best signing’

Boss Marco Silva has hailed Bernd Leno as his best-ever signing and one of the keys to Fulham’s excellent Premier League return.

The former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper has been one of the bargain buys of the season after joining for just £3m from the Gunners last summer.

“I am really pleased with the decision we took to sign him,” said Silva.

“We waited for him until the last moment we could get him and when we did it was such a great feeling for me and our football club that he wanted to join us.

“He is, in my opinion, one of the top three keepers in this competition, he is quality in every single game.

“He has been brilliant and the most important thing for a keeper is to be consistent and from the first match he played until now he has been one of the most consistent in the Premier League.

“He is the best signing I’ve ever made, that is a no-brainer. He is clearly, in terms of the quality and the value, the best. He makes no mistakes.”

Silva’s team head to Anfield on Wednesday to take on in-form Liverpool and will be without Andreas Pereira and skipper Tim Ream, who have been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Ream broke his arm in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by Manchester City at Craven Cottage and Pereira was stretchered off in the second half of the game with suspected ankle ligament damage.

“I didn’t see the players after the match but in the evening I spoke to Tim and Andreas and they were in a better mood,” Silva said.

“We had them back in the training ground and they are ready to start their recovery.

“The support will be strong for them from everyone at the football club.”