Mario Lemina said it was "an honour" to represent Fulham after the midfielder bid farewell to the Premier League club as he prepares to return to Southampton.
Due to his failure to break into the Saints’ first team, the Gabon international – who represented Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray in the 2019-20 campaign – was shipped to Craven Cottage with an option to make the deal permanent.
He was a key figure in Scott Parker’s squad, playing in 28 English top-flight games with a goal to his credit - which came in the 1-0 triumph over Liverpool in March.
At the end of the season, however, the London side were relegated to the EFL Championship.
With a return to Southampton imminent, having completed his loan move, the 27-year-old took to social media to appreciate the club for their support.
“To the entire Fulham FC family, I would like to say thank you,” Lemina wrote on Instagram.
“I gave my best this season to make our fans proud, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. It was an honour to be able to defend your colours.”
In a chat with SkySports, the former Juventus and Olympique Marseille star expressed his gratitude to Fulham for another opportunity to star in the English top-flight as well as the club’s fans for their unbending support.
"I am happy for them to see that I am a really emotional guy. I need to respect the team and myself. I need to be able to go home and look in the mirror and be honest with myself," said Lemina.
"I respect that they give me a chance to play again in the Premier League. I will give everything until the end of the season, that's my job and I will keep going."
Thanks to his strike against the Reds, Lemina ended his 23-month wait for an English elite division strike, while each of his goals have come in different seasons - in 2017-18 vs West Brom, 2018-19 vs Newcastle and this season vs Liverpool.
Interestingly, Lemina’s three Premier League goals have all been scored away from home.
In the coming days, it will become known if the African would remain in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad or be shipped to another team.