The matter of who was the best ping-pong player on Fulham’s recent pre-season tour to Portugal is still a hotly contested topic.

“Don’t ask that question,” laughs Connor McAvoy. “I can’t answer it.”

For McAvoy, table tennis talent or otherwise (for the record, he did play that sport a bit when he was younger), that trip last month marked a big step up.

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The 20-year-old central defender was part of Marco Silva’s first-team contingent in pre-season, training with the squad in the early weeks at Motspur Park before travelling to the head coach’s homeland for warm-up games against Nice of France and Portuguese sides Benfica and Estoril.

“It was great, to be honest with you,” McAvoy says. “I learnt a lot from being with them. It is what I need as a young player. It’s definitely helped me and I felt really good coming into this season.”

McAvoy, a former Scotland Under-19s international, is speaking with The Athletic after Fulham Under-21s’ hard-fought 3-1 win over their West Ham counterparts on August 5. It is their first match of the new season in a new division — Premier League 2’s top flight. For McAvoy, nursing a bloodied nose, it was a truly bruising encounter. But he feels his first-team experience has helped him in this area.

“I’m one of the older players, I know I’ve got to take command,” he says. “Whereas over there (with the first team), I rely on the others around me because I’m one of the younger lads.

“The roles reverse and I can carry what I learnt from over there onto this pitch with these younger lads and help them through the game. It takes me to the next level with talking and organising, being more of a leader.”

He found it an eye-opening jump to work with the seniors on a technical and tactical level, too.

“Everyone’s first touch is immaculate,” McAvoy says. “I can give someone any type of pass and I know they will deal with it. The technical ability is another level. It is Premier League standard (and) that’s the best in the world.

“The intensity of everything — in every session, every player is on it. You have to match them, you have to be on it as well because no one wants to carry anyone, even in training games. So you’ve got to be on their level. You get found out pretty quickly. 

“I am obviously good enough to be over there — otherwise I wouldn’t be there. So, it’s just (a case of) give 100 per cent and let my ability take care of itself.”

McAvoy was among several youngsters handed the chance to impress in Portugal.

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Goalkeeper George Wickens, winger Sylvester Jasper, midfielder Adrion Pajaziti, defender Marlon Fossey, attacking midfielder Luke Harris and McAvoy’s central defensive partner Idris Odutayo were there, too.

He has played alongside the latter for some time in Fulham’s academy, and they took that partnership to the first-team stage when they started the 2-0 win over Nice in Faro on July 16.

“It was weird, it didn’t feel real,” McAvoy says of that experience at the 30,000-capacity Estadio Algarve. “I didn’t actually feel too nervous, I was just so excited, in the zone.

“I thought I had a pretty good game. There were a few Fulham fans. Just playing with the first-team players that you watch every Saturday, it’s just cool. I couldn’t do anything more than just enjoy it.

“To be fair, the gaffer said, ‘Don’t be scared about making mistakes, go and play your game because the lads around you will take care of themselves. They’ll help you out’. The first-team lads get you through, everyone just helped each other.”

Joe Bryan and Harrison Reed were among those helping the youngsters settle, while McAvoy has learnt a lot from fellow central defenders Tosin Adarabioyo and Tim Ream.

“Those two gave me advice on the pitch. Off the pitch, Joey and Reedy were just nice guys and chat with you about anything. It makes you feel more comfortable. To be fair, all the lads are easy to talk to.”

McAvoy has had a long Fulham journey so far. He grew up in Staines, a town 20 miles south west of Craven Cottage, and joined Fulham before under-nines level. He says: “I think my family could drive to Fulham with their eyes closed, to be honest, they’ve done the journey that many times.”

He began as a defender, then played in midfield because, in his own words: “I didn’t grow.” At under-18s level, he was also used at right-back. “I’m just as comfortable in each,” he says. “Centre-back is probably my favourite position.”

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He says Sergio Ramos and John Terry were the players he admired most growing up, while his father Gordon had been a right-back, reaching National League level (English football’s fifth tier), and is a big influence on his son’s career. “My dad used to always watch games with me and say, ‘See what he did there?’, and that sort of thing. We would watch it thoroughly.”

McAvoy was part of the Steve Wigley-managed team that won the Under-18s Premier League South title in 2020 before stepping up to the under-23s (who have since been reclassified as under-21s). He made 10 Premier League 2 appearances as they secured promotion last season, but spent most of it on loan at National League side Wealdstone, along with team-mate Wickens. He excelled there, scoring on his debut and going on to be voted their Player of the Season by the north west London club’s Stonescast podcast.

That winning moment. 🔥#FFC

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 20, 2022

“It was my first season in men’s football and it was a lot different (to academy football),” he says. “The physicality definitely helped me with that side of the game. Technically, I’d say it’s probably the same (as the under-21s). Different teams play different ways with different players, but you are up against a lot of big, big players who just want to head the ball and hurt you, really.

“But it was a great learning season. Wealdstone were brilliant — the players, the gaffer, they’re all quite a young team, they wanted to play the right way. But they looked after me really well. George (Wickens) and I enjoyed it. I would say it’s probably the most enjoyable nine months of my career so far.”

Still just 20, McAvoy is not the most imposing central defender and his loan experience taught him how to adapt against physical opponents.

“I’d say it made me look after myself a bit more on the pitch,” he says. “I’ve got to be horrible — not in a bad way.

“If I know that someone is bigger than me, I’m not going to be able to push him off the ball, I’ve got to use my brain and read the game, and realise how to play against him instead of trying to get into a battle with him. Because I know that’s what they want and that’s how some play in that league. It’s just about using your brain, really.”

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With the first team strengthening in defence via the transfer market, opportunities are likely to become limited in senior football with Fulham this season for McAvoy. But having experienced what it takes to compete at that sort of level, he’s keen to push on.

“I’ve seen the lads in the first team. I know the level they are at,” he says. “I know where I have got to be.”

(Photo: Will Matthews/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)