Jol in keeper quandary

26 April 2013 00:17

Fulham manager Martin Jol admits he has a "little problem" over his goalkeeper choices for next season - with veteran Mark Schwarzer yet to commit to the offer of a contract extension.

Australian Schwarzer, 40, signed his last deal in January 2013 and has not given any firm indications on his future plans.

David Stockdale, meanwhile, has impressed during his loan spell at Hull as they press for promotion from the npower Championship. Jol hopes the situation will be resolved one way or another soon.

He said: "As you know we made him (Schwarzer) an offer, so that means we would like to keep him."

Asked if he had come back to the club yet, Jol added: "No."

Jol, though, knows Stockdale cannot wait forever to stake his claim for the Fulham number one jersey, the 27-year-old having had loan spells with several different clubs since joining from Darlington in 2008.

"The reality is Stockdale wants to be the number one, so I have got a little problem and it is a choice. Do you get him back and make him the number one or do you stick with your keeper?" Jol said. "Schwarzer did ever so well, so it's about making decisions. If I want another goalkeeper, I won't take a mug, I would like to take a good goalkeeper, and a good goalkeeper is someone who could be a number one."

Jol added: "I have got a very good one in Neil Etheridge, but he has played two games in his career so for him it would be better to play games at another club and then in two years time he could be number one, because he is a tiger, he is very good talent, but in the meantime we need a very good goalkeeper."

Fulham have several players coming to the end of their current deals, including several on loan, like Cameroon midfielder Eyong Enoh from Ajax.

Jol indicated veteran forward Mladen Petric could be among those who move on, adding: "Petric is one who could make his mind up himself because as long as (Dimitar) Berbatov was here, there is not a big role for him to play."

Source: PA