Fulham will give Ryan Sessegnon time to “grow up” and adapt to the Premier League, according to boss Slavisa Jokanovic.
The 18-year-old Craven Cottage sensation, who could pass 100 Fulham appearances this season, is already in his third full senior campaign.
The England Under-21 talent had a host of top clubs courting his services in the summer, but opted to stay put in west London.
Head coach Jokanovic has called for calm however, as the youngster starts to realise his rich potential.
“It is a new experience for him, he has come from one level to another: it’s not time to rest, it’s time to continue with this learning process,” Jokanovic said.
“He must understand the difference between the Championship and the Premier League. It’s a huge experience for him, all the minutes he is getting.
“We must be calm with him and give him space to grow up. He’s a little bit more experienced now but there’s huge space for him to reach his best level.”
Fulham have bagged one win and one draw from their five encounters so far on their Premier League return.
They spent more than £100million recruiting a host of new talent following their Championship promotion, determined to become a top-flight fixture.
And Jokanovic freely admits he must deliver on the board’s investment, and quickly.
“You need time but how much? Some coaches talk about years, but we are a completely new team and we need an express process,” said Jokanovic, ahead of hosting former club Watford at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
“We need something fast because we don’t have that time. With some different coaches you can see changes to their face or their hair. At the moment I am safe! I am not affected so much.”
This post was last modified on 21/09/2018