Fulham boss Mark Hughes admits the quality of Bobby Zamora has surprised him.
Hughes is a self-confessed fan of the England striker after working with him for several weeks.
"I've been surprised at the quality that is within the building and Bobby's very much in that group," Hughes told fulhamfc.com.
"When you come into a new situation you're not quite sure what you're getting but Bobby is a top class Premier League striker.
"His link up play has impressed me and is better than people give him credit for. When he's in possession in the final third he's very difficult to dispossess and he's got good awareness of the players around him. His appreciation of a pass to bring players into a game is good and along with that he's adding goals.
"He had an outstanding season last year and he's continuing that form. I hope he maintains it because it's important for Bobby and it's important for us. At the moment, with the way we're playing, Bobby is a real focus for our attacking play and we need him to keep playing well so we can flourish.
"He's quite a package and a threat. His link up play and team work is excellent and he's a big factor in why we've started so brightly. He's very confident in his game and he's enjoying his work. At the moment he's able to transfer the work on the training ground on to the field of play and he's playing really, really well."
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