The Club can confirm that Neeskens Kebano’s time as a Fulham player has come to an end, following the expiry of his contract last month.

One of the most popular personalities the Club has seen, Kebano is one of just five players to have won promotion three times with Fulham, alongside Aleksandar Mitrović, Tom Cairney, Tim Ream and Denis Odoi.

He departs having made 160 appearances for Fulham, scoring 24 times.

Arriving from KRC Genk several games into the 2016/17 campaign, Kebano made his debut 24 hours after putting pen-to-paper, impressing from the start in a 1-0 win away to Blackburn Rovers.

His first goal arrived in dramatic style, collecting a Cairney pass in the fourth minute of stoppage time at home to Wigan Athletic, skipping beyond a defender and placing a shot beyond the goalkeeper to secure a 3-2 win for his new side.

That was one of nine goal involvements Kebano registered in his maiden campaign in SW6, helping Fulham reach the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs for the first time.

The winger made 29 appearances the following year as the Whites won promotion via victory over Aston Villa at Wembley, but having not featured a lot in the run-in, a humble Kebano later confessed that he felt like he didn’t deserve to be part of the celebrations.

“That day was a bit of a weird day, because of the competitor I am. I was in the stand, I was supporting the team, I wanted us to go up, because that was my dream, to play in the Premier League. We won the game, everything was perfect, we’re on the pitch celebrating. And that was lovely, I was happy, one of the happiest probably when we were celebrating. But when I was back home alone, I was thinking about the season in general, and I was just like, ‘Wow, we got promoted, I slightly participated because I played maybe 20 games, but in the main games I was not involved.’ I was just like, ‘I’m there but I don’t deserve it because I didn’t do much to be there.’”

Probably being too harsh on himself in his assessment of 2017/18, there was no doubting Kebano’s influence on our next promotion campaign two years later.

After scoring two of our three goals across both legs of the Play-Off Semi-Final victory over Cardiff City – one of which made him the first player since Wayne Rooney in 2013 to score a direct free-kick in three consecutive matches – Kebano played the first 81 minutes of our clash with Brentford at Wembley.

Arguably his best season in black and white, though, came the year we bypassed the Play-Offs altogether to win the Championship in 2021/22.

One third of a potent front line alongside Mitrović and Harry Wilson – which spawned one of the most popular terrace chants of recent times – Kebano scored nine goals and assisted a further seven as Fulham won the title.

The 34-cap Congo international was a popular choice on the flank at the start of our next Premier League campaign, starting nine of our opening 13 fixtures, before an Achilles injury cruelly sidelined him.

In true Kebano style, though, he reacted positively, defying fears that he may not feature again that season, to return ahead of schedule and make the final eight matchday squads.

The reception he received from the fans when he came off the bench for the closing moments of our 2-1 victory over Leeds United in April was one of the most wholesome moments witnessed at Craven Cottage.

While his impact on the pitch has been undeniable, his influence off it played a huge part in the legacy Kebano leaves at Fulham.

Never without a smile on his face, even in times of adversity, Kebano has been one of the most popular men in every changing room, and adored the relationship he had with the fans.

Our annual pre-season content piece, The Neeskens Diaries, which saw him given free licence with a handheld camcorder, was always one of the most popular videos amongst the fanbase.

Everyone at Fulham would like to thank Neeskens for his many contributions over the last seven years, and wish him all the very best of luck during this next chapter of his career.

We hope to welcome him back to the Cottage as a guest in the not-too-distant future.

“My time has come to an end,” Kebano told FFCtv. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been seven years. I enjoyed every single bit of my journey as a Fulham player. Even in the bad moments, there were always positives.

“For the fans, honestly, thank you for the love that you showed me during my time here. I’ll never forget you. Fulham forever!”

Tony Khan added: “Neeskens Kebano has been an important part of the Fulham family since he arrived in 2016. He’s made great contributions to our Club, both in the Championship and in the Premier League.

“Neeskens is adored by the Fulham supporters and is beloved at our Training Ground. He’s been a great friend to so many people at this Club, including his teammates, virtually our entire staff, and me personally. I know that he desires to play regularly, and we all wish him well on his next adventure, and we thank him for his great time at Fulham.

“He’ll always be welcome at the Cottage. Thank you, Neeskens!

“Come on Fulham.”