Maxime Colin is targeting an extended run in the Brentford team after returning from injury in the 4-2 win over Huddersfield Town last Saturday. The French right-back had missed the previous three months with a knee injury after joining from Belgian Champions Anderlecht in August. Speaking to Bees Player ahead of the Boxing Day match with Brighton and Hove Albion Maxime admitted it was frustrating to get injured so soon after joining The Bees but is now keen to make up for lost time.

“I hope I can play game after game now because three months was a long time out,” said Maxime. “When you come back from a long injury like this it is like a new season. I am 100 per cent fit and hopefully I will have no problems any more. I want to show what I can do on the pitch every week. Luckily I played a few games before I was injured so I didn’t come and get injured straight away. People knew a little about what I could do because I played four or five games before the injury.

“It was not easy though because when you arrive in a new country and a new dressing room you need to learn things and that is easier when you are playing. When you are injured you are a little out of the team because you arrive when they are training and you leave after they have finished. I worked hard for three months to come back and Saturday was a good game. Now I want to see the atmosphere at the Boxing Day game because everyone says that it is a little bit special.”

The 24-year-old defender had to watch from the sidelines as The Bees began their climb towards the top end of the Sky Bet Championship with a run of two defeats in 11 before Saturday’s victory over Huddersfield Town.

Maxime believes that the slow start to the season was not helped by the arrivals and outgoings at Griffin Park and feels that the recent run of form shows the quality in a fully fit Brentford squad.

“The beginning of the season was a little bit strange because we had a lot of new players,” said Maxime. “It was the same at Anderlecht as when we had a lot of players come and go it was difficult to find a way to win. Now it is more stable and we know each other more. We have a lot of players who can play which means we have a good team. I hope we can do better because we have only lost twice in our last 12 matches. If we continue like this we can expect better at the end of the season but we have to continue to win game after game and then see what happens at the end.”

Maxime came close to netting his first goal in the red and white of Brentford against Huddersfield Town. With full-backs playing an important role for The Bees in an attacking sense Maxime knows he has a duty to help the team create chances but acknowledges that can’t come at the expense of his defensive duties.

“Full-backs have to go forward now to play important balls in the attack but you have to find the balance between the attack and defence,” said Maxime. “If both full-backs go forward then you leave the centre-backs. Against Huddersfield Town we conceded twice. We controlled the game but letting in two goals was a little disappointing. I am looking to score goals and make assists because you can’t always count on Alan Judge or Lasse Vibe to score all the time. Everyone has to be decisive during the game. Jake Bidwell scored against Cardiff City and I almost scored in the last game so we have to keep working to help the team.”

Watch the full interview with Maxime below