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Jimmy Bullard |
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Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy has declared that he is enjoying his football again after a frustrating spell at Tottenham.
Murphy joined Spurs from Charlton in January 2006 but his lack of first-team opportunities saw him leave for Craven Cottage in 2007.
The midfielder was one of the main players as Fulham secured their Premier League status on the last day of the season and manager Roy Hodgson has rewarded the 31-year-old with the captain's armband this campaign.
Murphy captained his current side to victory against his former employers on Saturday and has belief that the current Fulham squad are good enough to avoid a situation such as last season.
He said: "I've got a lot of responsibility on my shoulders in terms of the captaincy and my role in the team.
"I'm probably fitter and stronger than I've been in a while because last season was my first full one after an indifferent time at Spurs.
"I think we've got a better squad now than we've had before. I just want to be part of a successful season and not go through the emotions of the last one.
"We've got a lot of players who are hungry and keen to succeed in this division."
Fulham have won many admirers this season for the way they play their football and this was evident in the 2-1 win over Spurs.
The Cottagers' striking pair of Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora gave Spurs defenders Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate a torrid time while Murphy and Jimmy Bullard seem to be forming a solid partnership in the centre of the park.
Despite this Murphy insists that he wants his side to be judged on results.
He added: "While we don't always play with the quality we want, that is the aim, and we hope that it is the right recipe to get results because we need to find that balance.
"We don't just want to be a pretty footballing side and not win games, we want to be both."