A summer recruit from Rochdale, Ethan Brierley is thriving since joining the young Bees.

The midfielder has looked sharp in pre-season and headed out on the tour to America in the Premier League Summer Series under Thomas Frank and his staff.

The youngster was also included in the B team’s recent trip to Spain as they played two matches with Real Betis in the heat- losing the first match before winning the second.

Sitting down in the Spanish sun to reflect on how the past few weeks have gone for him, he explained: "I’m loving it. I’m quite close with all the lads now and I really get on with them all. They're a good group of lads, and I think we really enjoy being together.

"Outside of training we've been chilling, playing lots of card games and quite a bit of table tennis as well.”

Ethan is no stranger to a trip with the Bees having spent a couple of weeks in America with the first team; an experience the 19-year-old won’t forget.

“I'd already had a couple of sessions with the first team back at Brentford and then I think it was the Thursday they pulled me out of the gym after training,” explained Ethan.

“The staff said they wanted to chat with me. I thought I was in trouble at first! They just said Thomas (Frank) had decided he wanted me to come to America so I was buzzing. I only had a couple of days to sort all my bags out, but I loved it.

“Even though I didn't get on, just being on the bench warming up next to all the Brentford players and then next to other Premier League players. It was just surreal.”

The central midfielder has also had the chance to train with the first team, play against LOSC Lille in pre-season as well as get minutes in Brentford XI matches recently. The youngster is aiming to keep up the hard work and keep taking the opportunities that come his way.

He continued: “I just want to do that as much as possible and train with the first team as much as I can, and anytime Thomas wants me to train I've just got to give 100 per cent each time, and every time I'm involved in those games I've just got to show Thomas and the other staff what I can do.”

Like many youngsters, when you get the chance to show what you can do alongside more senior players, it’s important to keep learning all the time. For Ethan there are two players who stick out, particularly as he aims to improve his defensive work.

“As a player I really like Matthias Jensen, but I really focus on Christian Norgaard, the skipper, who plays in my position, said Ethan. “I've been watching him, and I've been playing against him in training and he's just like another level. What he does off the ball, and he always seems to be in the perfect position.

"He doesn't always need to tackle because he's always in the perfect position to intercept it. So, I have been watching him do that and I'm going to try and replicate that in my game.”