Riether feels settled at Fulham
Fulham right-back Sascha Riether has said he is feeling at home in the Premier League but believes he can do even better.
Riether, 29, is on a one-year loan from Bundesliga II club Cologne, He said he had had a tough start at Fulham, but the style of English football and the friendly atmosphere at Craven Cottage had convinced him he was at the right club.
He told kicker: "It wasn't easy with the language. At first, I got nothing of what our Scottish assistant coach [Billy McKinlay] said. And the football is different.
"I wanted to become a starter, and I managed to do that. I am proud I have become a fans' favourite. But of course I can still do better, and that's what I am trying to do.
"The football here suits me. Moreover, the club is very friendly and I received a warm welcome."
Riether, who won two caps for Germany in 2010 and has made 207 Bundesliga appearances, has also been struck by the differences between the Bundesliga and the Premier League.
"The players here all have an amazing individual quality. Even smaller clubs take on high-profile players for a lot of money," he said. "There are also fewer dives here.
"There is not as much singing as in Germany. Instead, the game is followed - every pass, every tackle. The whole stadium cheers a cross. It is very intense, and you have to go into every tackle.
"The atmosphere is insane. Take QPR, where the spectators sit on the sideline. When you take a throw-in or a corner, they might be fanatical, but they would never dare to touch or hurt you.
"The mutual respect between fans and players is striking. It is a different football culture. I have never witnessed anything like that. I have to raise my hat to it."
Riether is not the only former Bundesliga player at a London club this season, and said he was meeting his old team-mate Lukas Podolski, now at Arsenal, for dinner.
"Lukas loves it here," he explained. "When we played against Arsenal, you could see he is very popular in the team."
But, as things stand, Riether will be leaving Craven Cottage when his loan spell expires in the summer.
"Nothing is decided yet," he said. "Fulham can activate a clause, and I also have to agree. As things stand now, I will return to Cologne in the summer. But I have to consider and talk to both clubs."
