Riether keen to shine

Sascha Riether: New Fulham defender relishing his Premier League opportunity

Fulham's Sascha Riether is relishing the opportunity to prove his worth in the Premier League and secure a permanent switch to Craven Cottage.

The 29-year-old right-back has made two appearances for Germany and recently joined the west Londoners from Cologne, signing on loan until the end of the season.

Fulham have an option to make the move permanent at the end of that period and Riether hopes to make amends for last season, when he suffered relegation from the Bundesliga.

"I said a lot of times when I was in Germany, the Premier League is the best league in the world and for me, it's a great honour to play there - and for such a good club, with such good players," he told the Ealing Gazette.

"For now, it's only one year, but I'll try my best and hopefully we'll have good results and after that, we'll see what happens.

"I know that I have good abilities on the pitch - I've played in the Champions League and in internationals, and I think I have the experience to move on from that disappointment."

Impact

Riether, who can also operate in midfield, spent last season at Cologne after joining from Wolfsburg.

The defender began his career 10 years ago at Freiburg, where he made 139 appearances over five seasons.

Riether then went on to enjoy four seasons at Wolfsburg, helping them to the Bundesliga crown in 2008/09 before joining Cologne.

The Lahr-born player becomes Fulham's latest German import and hopes to emulate fellow full-back Moritz Volz, who became a popular figure on the banks of the Thames during his spell at the club.

"I heard that the Fulham fans liked him very much and I'd like to make an impact like that - why not?" Riether said.

"Of course, Moritz is a different person, but I will try my best to do well."