Following Jackson's death in June 2009, Fulham's chairman commissioned a statue in his memory, which was originally planned to be erected outside his Harrods store. However, after the sale of the shop in Knightsbridge, it was decided that Craven Cottage was the best alternative for the tribute.
The statue, depicting the singer in one of his most iconic poses, is situated on the banks of the river Thames, adjacent to the Riverside and Hammersmith Stands at the stadium. "Michael Jackson was truly a legend, a term used too often in this modern world saturated in the hyperbole surrounding celebrity," said Fayed.
"He was my friend, a man with whom I shared many happy memories and who died a tragic and untimely death. He left behind a legacy of music so vast it takes one's breath away; from a precocious talent to an ingenuity and ground breaking modernity that shall never be repeated.
"It shall often be imitated, but it will never be replicated, Michael Jackson was, and shall always remain, one of a kind. I hope that many fans of his will visit the statue at the Cottage from far and wide, and that Fulham fans will appreciate seeing the finest performer in the world, in and amongst them, the finest fans in the world."
Source: guardian.co.uk