Brentford goalkeeper Richard Lee hailed promotion to The Sky Bet Championship as “fantastic” as he looked back on 2013/14 and the “phenomenal” change since he joined The Bees four years ago.

The Bees won promotion by finishing second in League One behind Wolverhampton Wanderers.

They will be playing in the second tier next season for the first time since 1993.

Richard, speaking to Bees Player after the end of the campaign, said there had been great change since he arrived at Griffin Park in the summer of 2010.

He said the growth in those four years gave an indication as to where Brentford was heading.

“It is fantastic,” said the stopper.

“Looking back over the past three or four years since I joined, the change in the Club has been phenomenal.

“The Training Ground was just one building, everything was done from there.

“To see the growth there shows how the Club has developed and where it is going.”

Richard played five games in 2013/14 but was a regular in the match day squad after coming back from shoulder surgery, which he underwent a year ago.

He said he was now fully fit and ready to challenge David Button for the position as Brentford’s first choice goalkeeper.

“I have trained more in recent months than I have for a few years,” said Richard.

“I feel I had a two-year period where it wasn’t great.

“And it was both shoulders.

“I dislocated the left, had an operation on the right and I couldn’t get myself to match fitness, even though I was involved during the time.

“In the past few months I have felt back to where I want to be and have a good platform to kick on and challenge David and get a few more games next year.”

Richard said he had a good relationship with both David Button and Brentford Manager Mark Warburton.

He admitted he wanted to play but understood the situation and believed he would get a chance to stake a claim and had to take it.

Richard said he wanted to stay positive, be the best he could be and remain in a good environment at Brentford.

“David and I live near each other, we car share, travel in together each morning and get on well,” he said.

“I understand the position.

“Like any footballer, I want to play, that is not the case right now but Mark Warburton has been excellent.

“We speak regularly; he tells me what he expects of me.

“My hope is that at some point I will get a chance and I need to be ready to take it.

“That chance hasn’t necessarily come yet, it didn’t this season.

“If I keep myself fit, as and when it does appear, I will be in the best position to take it.

“There are 22-24 players that expect to play; it is not easy to keep everybody happy.

“It comes back to the individual.

“You can sulk; I could throw a tantrum, demand a move and drop a division or two to play.

“Or, you stay patient.

“By staying fit, training hard and being the best I can be at some point that chance will come.

“Now it will come in The Championship.

“I would much rather be in this environment with the coaching staff here and the players than start again elsewhere.

“It has never been as difficult as some people might think.

“It is not nice not playing, but there are lots of positives and I focus on them.”

Richard said Brentford winning promotion this season was redemption for 2012/13 when The Bees finished third in League One, missing a last-gasp penalty to seal automatic promotion, and lost the Play-Off Final.

Promotion was sealed when The Bees beat Preston North End on Good Friday and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Rotherham United 6-4 in a game that ended a long time after Brentford’s.

Brentford’s players were presented with medals to mark promotion after the final game of the season, against Stevenage, and Richard said it was a fantastic day, albeit a bit strange to celebrate twice.

He added the experience of 2012/13 had made the squad stronger.

“It was a fantastic day against Stevenage,” said Richard.

“It was weird because we celebrated so much after Preston; to go out and do it again was a bit odd.

“The feeling at the Preston game was extraordinary.

“In the Changing Room when Wolves scored the sixth was a great feeling.

“After last season, and everything that happened, it was redemption.

“You can almost look back at last year and smile.

“At the time it was horrible but it made us stronger and more appreciative of what has happened.”

Bees Player subscribers can see a full post-season interview with Richard Lee here.