Marcus Bettinelli wants to stay at Fulham for the foreseeable future but admits playing games are important, something he didn't get enough of last season.

The 25-year-old stopper signed a new deal in the summer that will see him stay at his boyhood club until 2020, with the option of a further year if the club decide to take it.

Having bide his time, he made his first league start of the season in the victory over Birmingham, keeping a clean sheet in the process, but it was his first start since the Play-off defeat to Reading.

And having signed his new deal in the summer, Bettinelli wants carry on playing regular football, something he believes will make it a successful season.

He said: "I signed a deal in the summer, things didn't pan out in pre-season because I got injured, but that's part and parcel of football, you can't plan for those things.

"At the end of the day I signed a nice contract here, I want to stay here but games are important to me and I didn't have enough last season.

"If I can stay in this position now until the end of the season, get on a run then it'll be a good season for me."

David Button had been the number one at Fulham since Bettinelli was injured in the pre-season defeat to Wolfsburg, but was dropped in favour of the 25-year-old, and he has no doubt Button will support him like he supported his colleague.

He added: "I did it pretty much all of last season, I've been no stranger to it.

"It's tough being a number two but that is part and parcel of being a footballer, we have to do that job and unfortunately for the 20 games this season I've had to do that job.

"I'm sure Button will support me now that I'm in his position like I supported him for the past 20 games, but me and Button are great friends, nothing will change that, so we'll keep working and keep getting better, both of us."