Andre Grey and Kerron Samuels expressed their delight at continuing their Brentford journey, as the defensive duo signed one-year professional contracts with a club option of another year.

After an impressive first season with Lydia Bedford’s Under-18s, both Grey and Samuels are excited for what’s to come as they aim to break into the B team.

Speaking on signing his first pro contract, Grey said: “I’m delighted! It’s been a long journey for me - from getting released by Crystal Palace to joining Kinetic Academy, where I was able to build my confidence again, which led me to the opportunity to join Brentford.

“Now being offered a professional contract, it’s a dream come true and it’s shown me that the hard work has paid off.”

Samuels added: “Signing my pro contract was a very proud moment for myself and my family - it’s something that I’ve been aiming towards for a little while now so to achieve it was a great feeling.”

Signing for Crystal Palace as a seven-year-old, Grey spent six years at the Eagles before moving on to the Kinetic Academy programme, which gives young footballers the opportunity to stay in education whilst pursuing a career in football.

The now-18-year-old said it was a big step up joining the Bees, but an opportunity that he knew he was ready for: "It’s obviously a lot more demanding here than when I was at Kinetic, but I knew that would be the case joining a Premier League club.

“Kinetic were great for me - without them, I wouldn’t be here. I was buzzing to join Brentford and I knew I had what it takes to develop at the club; that confidence has helped me along the way.”

Samuels had a different pathway than Grey: the left-footed centre-back initially came through the ranks at Chelsea, before moving on to Liverpool where he completed the first year of his scholarship before joining Brentford.

The youngster, who has now played for three different Premier League clubs at academy level, feels his past experiences helped him settle into life in west London comfortably: "I started off at Chelsea but wasn’t offered a scholarship... that’s when Liverpool came in for me and I feel that gave me my first taste of what it would be like to play at a professional level.

“It wasn’t easy for me: moving away from my home in London was tough but it helped me develop and I became stronger. When the opportunity came around to move back to London, it was something that excited me - meeting new coaches and team-mates in a professional environment was something which I had done before so I settled in well.”

The pair would often partner each other as centre-backs for the U18s in the early stages of the 2023/24 season. But, as the season progressed, Grey found himself playing in midfield, where he showed his versatility and on-the-ball qualities.

He said: “I’m primarily a centre-back but, personally, I prefer playing as a holding midfielder. I’m thankful for Lydia for moving me to play in that position last season because I loved it.

“The B team have a lot of great players, especially in that midfield area of the pitch. I’m happy to play anywhere and how versatile I am will hopefully help me get some minutes for the side this season."

Samuels was often a standout performer for Bedford’s side last season and, like Grey, the centre-back is extremely confident on the ball.

He went on to talk about his progression so far at the club and his short-term ambitions ahead of the new campaign: "I think I’ve really developed here in a lot of different ways; I had areas in my game which I didn’t think were that important to me at the time, but the club have helped me massively to work on my flaws.

“Playing against different types of opposition is something I’ve found helpful for my development and that’s one of the reasons why I’m working hard and aiming for B team appearances this season.

“The B team will often come up against senior opposition, and for me to get a taste of that will only make me a better player. For now, I just need to continue to work hard so I get them opportunities and continue my development.”

The pair both featured in the B team’s first pre-season fixture on Friday night against Hanwell Town, with Grey making his first start for Neil MacFarlane’s side.

Despite the 2-0 defeat, the versatile youngster put in a good performance in the Brentford backline - and he is now eyeing more B-team opportunities.

“Training and playing with the B team has been really good - the sessions have started to become more intense but I think I’ve been doing well,” said Grey.

“My goal this season is to play as much football as I can for the B team and to just keep improving and showing the coaches that I’m willing to work my socks off for them.”

Grey, Samuels and Brentford B face Sutton United on Saturday from 4pm at Wheatsheaf Park. Get your tickets now.