Aluko ready to fire

Ahead of Friday’s Championship opener against Newcastle United live on Sky Sports, Fulham forward Sone Aluko discusses his summer move to Craven Cottage and the challenges of the Championship that await Rafael Benitez’s side…

Sone Aluko can hardly keep the smile from his face. Since signing for Fulham on a two-year contract last month, everything is going to plan. “I’ve enjoyed it,” he tells Sky Sports. “The boys have been great with me and very welcoming, so it’s so far so good. For me, I couldn’t be happier.”

Speaking after Fulham’s final pre-season friendly, an impressive 3-1 home win over Crystal Palace, Aluko is understandably buoyant having netted the game’s opening goal. It was a confident strike too, rounding Julian Speroni with ease before slotting into the vacant net. “It’s always nice to get a goal at home quickly,” adds Aluko. “It settles you down.”

Relaxed and polite, the 27-year-old Nigeria international certainly has the aura of a man comfortable in his new surroundings. Perhaps that’s in part because this is a homecoming of sorts. London is the city in which he was born but since moving to Birmingham as a child it’s been a long journey back to the capital.

“Aberdeen, Rangers, Hull, now Fulham,” he laughs. “It’s just how it’s happened for me. It’s good to be back down south with my family.” It’s also good to be wanted. Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic is in his first full season at Craven Cottage and is rebuilding a squad that finished only two places above the drop zone in May. Aluko appears central to his …

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