Stephen Kelly believes that new Fulham teammate Bryan Ruiz will succeed at Craven Cottage, despite enduring a "baptism of fire" on his debut against Blackburn Rovers yesterday.

The £10.6m signing from FC Twente was taken off at half-time by manager Martin Jol as he struggled to adapt to the Premier League, a move which full-back Kelly has backed.

"It was a baptism of fire, especially when you're coming into a game against Blackburn or someone like Stoke," he said.

"He's a talented boy, he has come in and I am sure he will play well for us and for the club. It is just going to be a little bit of a learning curve in the first couple of games.

"I think the manager was right in what he did. He gave him a half and a taste of things so for the next few games he knows maybe what he needs to do."

Ruiz, 26, has made 43 appearances for Costa Rica.

Written by
Liam Apicella