On 18 November 2022 Brentford B made it three wins from three in the Premier League Cup as they beat Peterborough United at the Lamex Stadium. It was a night where the side could take lots of positives.

There were more goals for Ryan Trevitt, who continued his stunning 2022/23 form. Alex Gilbert was clinical from the penalty spot too, but there was also an added plus point from the night as Aaron Pressley made his return from injury after almost one year out.

“I didn’t really want to watch football because I knew I couldn’t be out there doing what I wanted to do.” The words of Aaron, fresh from helping the B Team to one win and one draw whilst out on tour in the Netherlands. Sat inside the Robert Rowan Performance Centre the striker, who has just turned the age of 21, reflects on the past year and the ups and downs that he has had to go through.

He continued: “It’s tough, but I got over it. I put my mental struggles into making sure that my gym work was done properly, making sure all the stuff on my rehab sheet was completed. It’s frustrating when there are little bumps in the road. At times I thought that I wouldn’t get back to where I wanted to be. Now I finish a game and feel absolutely fine and you realise it’s all part of the process. There are stages along the way where you feel like you’re never going to play again.”

It was a hamstring injury which had kept the youngster out of action for so long. After going through rehab after picking up the problem whilst playing on loan for AFC Wimbledon the youngster returned to action for the young Bees in Portugal as they competed in the Atlantic Cup in early 2022. He made a substitute appearance against Swedish side Halmstads before returning to Plough Lane with the aim of helping the Dons to steer clear of relegation from Sky Bet League One.

Discussing his return to the Dons the youngster described a setback which then turned into a further injury which required surgery.

He explained: “I came on against Gillingham and then played against Doncaster at Plough Lane. I came on for 20 minutes and in the last sprint that I did I pulled up again and then got scanned again. It was a really low-grade injury, and it was a little bit lower down from the previous one. I then went through my rehab for that for six to eight weeks and began to come back to training. It was my first time involved in 11v11 in training and I stretched to receive the ball but felt my hamstring again. The decision was to see a specialist and we decided it was best to have an operation. I had to get my head around the fact that I’d be out for four to five months which was disappointing, but I knew that after that period my hamstring would be so much stronger than before.”

Being out of action for a long period is tough for any player and at times like that it’s important to have good people around to help you through. Thankfully at Brentford the support mechanisms are there, whether that’s staff or fellow players- including those within the First Team set up. Aaron was keen to thank B Team Physiotherapist Paolo Perna for his involvement in the recovery process.

“Having Paolo helping me along the way was really good, we have a really good relationship and I have to thank him for the time and effort he put in to help me to get back fit,” said Aaron. “I think the rehab has benefited me off the pitch in terms of my strength, my gym work has improved, I have a good routine. Kris Ajer helped me a lot too. He got me in nice and early, doing good prep work, he pushed me and questioned what I was doing. This period, even though I’ve not played football for basically a year, it’s really developed me off the pitch and it’s made me put in some really good procedures off the pitch to go forward in my career.

“I was lucky that I had a contract and there are certainly players who have been in worse positions than me. Having the boys around you, the good lads that we have in the B Team, definitely helps.”

The 2020/21 season saw Aaron have his best campaign in red and white. He clocked up 19 goals for the young Bees over the course of the season and his impressive form saw him earn the opportunity to step out on loan last season. Reflecting on the experience with Wimbledon, he says he learned a great deal over the course of half a season prior to the injury.

Discussing his loan with the Dons, Aaron only has nice things to say about the club which gave him an opportunity to develop. Having seen fellow Brentford teammates in Paris Maghoma and Nathan Young-Coombes step out for their loans at Plough Lane this season, Aaron says he encouraged both players to make the short trip to Wimbledon. “Signing for them, a real exciting club. They were going back to Plough Lane which is a great stadium in front of really good fans. It was 20 minutes from my house, it was a perfect loan,” said Aaron.

“I threw myself in at the deep end having not played men’s football before. It was straight into League One and I worked with some top people. I developed as a player and as a person most of all. You have to deal with older players, different personalities. It’s not a young dressing room which is different. There are points on the line. Considering I was 19 and playing in League One I think, for the type of striker I am, I developed whilst I was there, and I think if I’d had a full season under my belt then I would have done really well. I guess it’s easy to look back and say that now. Paris and Nathan came to me when the opportunity came up and I told them to go and test themselves. I know they’re good enough but it’s a different environment which you have to get used to. For any player it’s good to get out and experience these things, especially when you’re young. Maybe you’re in a comfortable environment and, of course, you want to stay and play in it because it’s so good, but you have to push yourself and go out of your comfort zone to make yourself a better player.”

Aaron learned a great deal whilst on loan with the Dons

So, how does Aaron see things now? The young striker is thriving being back amongst the group and training regularly. In his second appearance back he grabbed his first goal of the season as he turned home from close range as the side came up against Como 1907. Being back doing what he does best has the number nine in good spirits and he’s looking forward to making up for lost time as he targets more games and plenty more goals.

“Being back out there and involved with the boys is great,” smiled Aaron. “To go out to Italy and then Holland with the team was a great experience. We’ve had some really good games and I feel like I’m getting back into the flow of things. I’m looking to build that sharpness and match fitness. You get them butterflies again, it’s really good, you miss it so much when you’re not playing. I’m really happy to be back playing. We’re really close and I’m happy to play games.

The youngster gave his instant reaction to grabbing his first goal back in Como with the B Team

“I got a goal in Como; it fell to my feet and it was a nice little present for me. I think I could have had two or three goals because my one against Jong AZ was ruled out which was disappointing.”

With Aaron well and truly back in the fold for Neil MacFarlane’s side, the rest of the season is very much a blank page for him to write on as he looks to really kick on with his development, and here’s hoping the goals continue to come as the young Bees aim to build on what has already been a brilliant 2022/23 campaign.