New Brentford signing John Egan said he had absolutely no hesitation in joining from Gillingham after he heard that The Bees were interested in his services. The 23-year-old defender penned a three-year deal at Griffin Park on Friday after his contract with the Sky Bet League One side ran out last month. John told Bees Player that he always believed he had the game to play in the Sky Bet Championship and, now he has the chance to do so with Brentford, the former Sunderland youngster is keen to prove it.

Speaking to Bees Player John said: “I knew all along that I would go to Gillingham for two years and I believed in myself that I could get a move to the next level. Brentford came in for me and, as soon as they did, there was only one place that I was going to go. I am delighted to be here now. Everything about the club sold it to me. They have had two good seasons in the Championship and I know Dean from his time at Walsall and playing against his teams. I love the way that he wants to play and I believe that there is a really good core of players here who will help me to step up my game. There is going to be improvement in me until the day that I retire and I always want to improve. I believe in myself and going to Gillingham from Sunderland I had to do it the hard way. I am on the way back up now and hopefully I can come to Brentford and show everybody what I am about.”

The Irish youth international spent two years in Kent with The Gills after leaving Sunderland in 2014, making nearly 100 appearances, and picking up the club’s Player and Away Player of the Year awards in his first season. Last season John was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year, alongside another of Friday’s signings Romaine Sawyers. Despite his awards and accolades John feels that there is still a lot of improvement to come from him and believes that Dean Smith and the Brentford coaching staff are the people to get that improvement from him.

“My first impressions are very good,” said John. “The set-up here is really good and all the lads seem to be really sound. The Head Coach is good so I just can’t wait to get out on the pitch and get started. Your first day at a new club is like your first day at school. You don’t really know anybody but it is good that there are quite a few lads around my age here. It is good that everyone is so welcoming and it has been easy. I have heard a lot of good things about Dean and I am really looking forward to working with him. As a centre-half he will know the best thing to do to coach the centre-halves so I am really excited to get started and start winning games for Brentford.”

John joins a defensive unit that already has Harlee Dean, Yoann Barbet, Andreas Bjelland, and Jack O’Connell all fighting for a starting spot. However, The Cork-born defender sees the competition for places as a challenge and believes that he can bring something new and different to The Bees backline.

“First and foremost I like to defend, you have to be able to defend in my position, but I also think that I have a bit to offer with the ball as well,” said John. “I want to make a good impression and have a good pre-season. Every club that you go to is going to have competition and that will bring the best out of people. I have the upmost belief in my own ability. I am going to come here, have a good pre-season and hopefully I will be ready to go for the long season ahead.”