Tom Cairney has spoken about his career at length, including his early years at Hull City, who gave him his big break after being released by Leeds United. He admits he does have some regrets about his seven years with the Tigers.

The mercurial midfielder, now 33, came through the ranks at Nottingham Forest before joining the Whites and then City where he penned a youth contract, but has become a cult figure at Craven Cottage since moving there in 2015.

Cairney went on to play under the likes of Phil Brown and Steve Bruce before leaving to join Blackburn Rovers in 2013 after playing 80 times for the club, 11 of which came in the Premier League.

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“I got released at 16,” the Fulham skipper said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “I was there (at Leeds) from seven or eight, until 16. I was a late developer, a really late developer physically. They said they didn’t have the time to wait, couldn’t get around the pitch.

“Physically, I was physically weak. I was small. The technical side I had but always in youth football, the strongest and fastest wins until everyone catches up.”

“Leeds took me off (Nottingham) Forest at 8, in a way if you can say that.” Cairney said. “I remember coming home from school and my dad said ‘you’re going to Leeds’. ‘What?’. We got in the car, we drove up to Thorp Arch(Leeds' training ground).

"You weren’t allowed to live an hour outside the training ground but we did. It was chaos, my dad was a taxi driver at the time. He used to break down on the way home, it was carnage. Unbelievable memories.”

In his early days, Cairney was rarely used in his preferred central role, but has credited Slavisa Jokanovic as being the manager who really unlocked his talent, something that was not utilised at City.

"I feel like Slavisa Jokanovic was the first person to put me in a midfield three," he explained. "I'm not saying he built the team around me, but I was a massive part in that. He just believed in what I could do to get the team playing and that's what I did.

"I've always seen the game that way, and it's been my strong part, being on the ball, and I feel like that's when my career really kickstarted, really. I was a bit late; 25 is a bit too late, in my opinion.

"A little bit (making up for lost time at Fulham). I'm not just putting the blame on that (my style). I feel like I could have done more in my early stages, especially at Hull (City) but we all have different paths. The technical side has always been my best part, my brain and the way I see the game.

"When I first came into the game, nobody was playing out from the back. I remember kicking it to Dean Windass and Fraizer Campbell. Dean Windass to flick it on and Fraizer Campbell running in behind. Now, every single team, whether you're in the bottom three or at the top, plays out from the back and tries to find the spare man, and the game has evolved so much.

"Every team-high presses, more or less apart from Forest. Do you know what I mean? That's how much the game has changed even since I've been in the game, so I feel I'm kind of jealous. I wish I was 12 or 13 years younger.

"The generation coming through now are so much more lucky. Even the generation before me or my generation, I feel like the technical side growing up in England or being English, you get seen as more of a luxury player.

"For most of my career, I got put on the right wing. I only played in my position when I was 25. Now, we've got academy prospects that are so slight but have so much ability. They play number 6.

"There's no way in hell Phil Brown (at Hull City) would have played me in holding midfield at 18 or 19. I think in this country, we sometimes look at what you can't do, he can't tackle, he can't run, he can't jump. We played Paul Scholes on the wing, it was a crime. I feel this country is changing.

"Football’s all about opinions; someone’s opinion of me at 16 was completely different at 18; football’s all about opinions and will always be about opinions, but if you keep believing in yourself and you’ve loved it every day, you just never give up."