Inamoto hails his Fulham fighters

Junichi Inamoto today played down his role as the new Loftus Road hero, hailing instead the team spirit which he believes could transport Fulham into uncharted Premiership territory.

Clutching a bottle of champagne as man of the match while being hailed by an army of Japanese fans who are threatening to turn this part of Shepherds Bush into little Tokyo, Inamoto shyly brushed aside the adulation which seems to have followed him from his World Cup odyssey.

"It was great to score my first goal in the league, but to be honest I wouldn't have cared about it if we hadn't gone on to win," said the man who famously never saw a single minute's Premiership action when at Arsenal last season but who already seems to be a key fixture at Fulham's temporary home

"Even when we were 2-0 down, I thought we could win it because there is such a great spirit among the team. We don't give up.

"My goal came at an important time and gave us the chance to do it and I think this result shows how we're beginning to grow up and mature as a team. I believe we have the possibility to do very well this season."

Inamoto's impressive display, following his InterToto Cup heroics, is bound to make him even more feted by the Japanese fans who last night flocked to Loftus Road to see the star of their World Cup squad. The club's website is apparently receiving more hits from Japan than from England while about 200 of Inamoto's London-based compatriots, some of whom had turned up in their own minibus, crowded outside the team coach to cheer him after the match.