Fulham's new Riverside stand has a pool – but talkSPORT presenter Jamie O'Hara is already 'banned'

Fulham could be about to welcome a new swimming pool to their stadium, but captain Tom Cairney says the pool could No Welcoming Jamie O'Hara.

The midfielder is preparing to kick off the 2024/25 Premier League campaign when his club travel to Old Trafford to face Man United in the season-opener on Friday 16 August. Live on talkSPORT.

Fulham finished a respectable 13th in the Premier League last season but will be hoping for better things this year.

And one of those things could include the renovation project taking place at Craven Cottage.

A swimming pool is not the only element that will be installed on the new outer roof of the stadium.

The new Riverside Stand will also feature restaurants, bars, a hotel, a health club and event spaces.

But while many fans may be eager to take advantage of these new features by taking a quick dip at half-time, one talkSPORT presenter has already had that Possibility ruled out!

Fulham midfielder Cairney spoke to talkSPORT about the luxury new addition to the stand.

And when asked if the team planned to celebrate every home win with a mate in the pool, the club captain laughed: “I don't know, why not?”

“I don't know, maybe the injured players will watch the game from the pool! I don't know, but if we have a big win or we make it to the final, maybe we can all jump in the pool, that would be nice. In our uniforms!”

But when asked if his former Fulham teammate O'Hara While he would be called upon to attend any end-of-season pool party, Cairney joked that he had some reservations there.

“I know him, I've been to a few pool parties with him before, a couple in Vegas,” Cairney laughed. “What he does and how he behaves, I don't know if that's for a football stadium or a football pitch!”

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Cairney went on to praise the Sports Bar host, who retired from professional football in 2020.

“He's an incredible character. It's incredible to see him doing so well on talkSPORT,” Cairney said.

“I still talk to him, we're still in a group chat. He's a really funny guy. He's also a really good player. People forget that, but he's a really, really good football player.

“He received a record amount of money in his early days of career. He's a great man. He's hilarious. I describe it as a throwback.”

She added: “He was fun to be around. We lived in the same apartment block in Central. We used to go out to eat sometimes. We went to the same bachelor party at the end of that season.”

“Things like that. He was amazing in the locker room.”

Much like the plans for Fulham's stadium redevelopment, Cairney's ambitions for the club this season are quite big, although he is being realistic about his targets.

“I can't talk about Europe or anything else yet,” he said.

“After being here for so long, I just want to become an established Premier League club. I think we have to look at teams like Brighton, for example, who have been in the Premier League for eight or nine years. I think they are an incredible example.

“When I was young, Fulham were always a Premier League club. I feel we need to get back to that and keep growing.

“As I said, we lost Mitrovic last summer. We had a bit of a slow start, but in the end we did well.

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“We've lost some key players again this season. It's something that happens in football. If you do well, your team does well, people will come and try to sign your players. That's life.

“We need to rebuild and get a strong team in the Premier League. Any result like last year or a little better would have been an incredible season.”