Former Brentford midfielder Adam Forshaw admits he got his departure from west London "wrong" in the latest edition of On the Rise, as he left the club for Wigan Athletic after the Bees' promotion to the Championship.
Wigan manager and ex-Brentford boss Uwe Rösler wanted a reunion with Forshaw - who was named League One Player of the Year for 2013/14 - so Wigan made two bids in the summer of 2014 that were dismissed out of hand by Mark Warburton, who described the offers as “totally unacceptable”.
But, eventually, he left, when the Latics returned with a suitable offer, on 1 September. And it's a decision he now believes was a mistake.
“I was living away from home and that was quite tough at times as I was young, so to get the chance to move back to Liverpool, and on a long contract, ticked a lot of boxes for me,” Forshaw explained.
“Not long before, Wigan had been relegated from the Premier League and won the FA Cup. Uwe was also there, and everyone knew we had a good relationship.
“But I was proved wrong - it wasn’t the right move for me. In my head, there was a good reason for it and I did genuinely think it was going to take me on in my career. I can openly say I got it wrong.
“You live and die by your decisions, and I was fortunate to get a get-out-of-jail-free card when I went to Middlesbrough six months later. You live and learn.”
He added: “I absolutely loved my time at Brentford. I’ve got nothing but great memories.
“I met some unbelievable people and some friends for life. I’m proud to have played a small part of the success they had to get to the Premier League.”
Read the full interview in Saturday's match programme; available online, and in and around Gtech Community Stadium for £3.
Also inside your Brentford v Fulham programme
"It’s a big occasion - the players know how much it means to you - so we will do our very best to come out flying and play with great intensity" - head coach Thomas Frank shares his thoughts before Fulham's visit to TW8
Like any supporter, Brentford was once a place for Ben Ryan to escape the pressures of his working life. But now the club is his working life. Having grown up less than a mile from Griffin Park, find out more about when Ben returned to west London in June 2022 to become the club's performance director in our latest Long Read
Big Ben Burgess’ Big Match Preview
Peter Rutzler, Fulham correspondent for The Athletic, gives the lowdown on Marco's side in Hot off the Press
The Nathan Caton Column
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