• Premier League

Jol hails Berbatov bond

ESPN staff
September 20, 2012
Dimitar Berbatov is settling in at Fulham © PA Photos
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Martin Jol has spoken of his excellent rapport with Dimitar Berbatov after claiming their relationship played a part in the striker snubbing Italy for a move to England.

Jol signed Berbatov from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 for around £11 million when he was Tottenham Hotspur manager, before the Bulgarian's form attracted interest from Manchester United two years later.

The pair have been reunited at Fulham after the striker signed on transfer deadline day this summer, and Jol has hailed their bond after watching him score a brace on his home debut against West Brom.

"I feel like I was the one who took him from Germany, from Leverkusen," Jol said. "To take someone for that sort of money from Germany showed there was a lot of confidence in the player.

"He had other options at that time and he still made that decision to come to us, to me, to Tottenham. So I think that is the sort of relationship I've got with him because there was probably even a bigger club then coming in for him and he still wanted to come to Spurs.

"But we shouldn't stretch our imagination and I think Berbatov could have gone to Italy. He was on the fringe of going to an Italian club.

"And then I spoke to him and maybe that convinced him. If he plays well like he did the other day, there will always be a good relationship."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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