SEOL KI-HYEON admits he might have been frozen out for good at Craven Cottage had it not been for the club's tour to his homeland to appease the sponsors.

Boss Roy Hodgson wondered aloud whether KiHyeon had a future at Fulham just before the club jetted out to play two games in South Korea last month.

He was baffled by the Korean's apparent lack of ambition.

"He's still with us and has a contract but he hasn't featured that much and seems happy with that," a clearly exasperated Hodgson revealed after the club's first pre-season friendly at Southend.

"If I was him, I would be unhappier that I wasn't getting more playing time, but he doesn't seem to complain about it too much. If any clubs were to come in for him, we would listen."

That warning alone may not have done the trick because it was really the trip to Korea - a thank-you to Fulham's sponsors LG Electronics - which put KiHyeon back on the radar.

It made sense to play the 29-year-old on his return to his native land and he responded with displays that earned him a starting role as a striker in Fulham's opening Premier League matches alongside Bobby Zamora.

Ki-Hyoen accepts it was only that trip to the Far East which resurrected his hopes. He started only four league games last season - just once for Hodgson.

"I got a chance because we went to Korea. I simply wouldn't have got a chance to play otherwise," KiHyeon told the Gazette.

"I was out of the team and I was proud to play there. It was good for my confidence. The crowd in Korea helped me, which was good. The people out there are watching our league every week.

"The manager didn't say anything but I knew this was a great chance and if I didn't show him what I could do in pre-season, it would be very difficult to get a chance during the season. So I worked very hard to show him what I've got."

Ki-Hyeon added: "I played as a striker in the second game and the manager found out different things, so that was quite lucky for me.

"I played a few games as a striker at Reading but never played in that position since Roy Hodgson came here until then. But it was great that I did.

"I'm so delighted to be playing because I didn't play much last season. We had a difficult season but I didn't do much for that team and that was very disappointing for me.

"I didn't get many chances but I never thought about moving to another club. I wanted to succeed here and just decided to keep trying and working hard.

"Now I've played the first two matches and I'm so happy."

Looking back on last season, when he struggled to adapt to Lawrie Sanchez's more direct style of play and then soon found himself out of favour completely when Hodgson arrived, said: "It was difficult to get used to playing here when I first arrived last year and to get into the team. It took time to see the way we played and what the manager wanted.

"I came here as a winger but I don't care where I play. Playing every week's the most important thing for me.

"I worked very hard pre-season to try and get into the team and I'm trying to do my best.

"I don't like to think about past things, I always think about the future and I'm very delighted to play.

"I will keep trying to work hard to stay in the side. We have many strikers like Andy Johnson here now and I have to show to the manager in every game that I can play.

"But I've also got used to what he wants. I have to work very hard for the team and I changed my style. I'm a striker but I have to defend for the team and he likes it."

Fulham claimed only their second win over Arsenal in 15 Premier League clashes and deserve plenty of acclaim for the way they did it.

They hustled the Gunners, for sure, but without any trace of illegality. And their willingness to track back and cover for each other complimented some crisp, sensible football.

Brede Hangeland's first goal for the club separated the sides but it was in midfield where the Whites excelled - Jimmy Bullard and Danny Murphy overwhelming Emmanuel Eboué and Denilson.

The Whites were seldom seriously threatened.

It was some riposte to that opening day defeat at Hull and offers an early indication that a far better season lies in store than last time around.

The only pity is that there is no follow-up game at Man United this week - the champions instead being involved in a Super Cup clash with Zenit in Monaco.

"We don't have a league game for three weeks and this game was very important because we lost the last game so this is a great result for us," Ki-Hyeon said.

"Now we can look at it as having time to rest and prepare for the next game and after beating Arsenal, we will be very confident."

Match Summary FULHAM (1) 1ARSENAL (0) 0 Line-up: Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Kallio (Baird 74); Davies, Bullard, Murphy (Andranik 81), Gera; Seol (Dempsey 77), Zamora. Subs not used: Stockdale, Stoor, Nevland, Milsom. Attendance: 25,276 GOALS: Hangeland (21) MoM: Danny Murphy