“I was watching on the tv at the time with my dad and we saw that we’d drawn Colchester. Obviously, you never know, but I think it was a great draw and thankfully it all worked out.”

In football you can take nothing for granted. As everyone knows, it’s a sport that moves very quickly and you’re not guaranteed anything. You have to work, and eventually the opportunities will come.

A Carabao Cup Second Round draw with Colchester United away from home meant that the Bees would head to the JobServe Community Stadium to take on the side from Sky Bet League Two in August. In those circumstances teams will frequently shuffle their pack, and in Ryan Trevitt’s case, he spotted it as a potential moment to make his senior bow in a Brentford shirt.

By no means assured of a place in that squad for the trip to Essex, Ryan knew that he would have to continue his early season performances and hard work if he was to push himself into that squad. The 19-year-old had just come off the back of a memorable pre-season for the midfielder. He travelled with Thomas Frank’s side to Germany to play a part in pre-season, he also scored and assisted as the Bees faced Arsenal at their London Colney training ground prior to the season beginning. Added to that he shined for the B team with an impressive display against Fulham Under-21s where he also got on the scoresheet.

“I found out the day before that I’d be in the squad which I was very happy about,” explained Ryan in the days after he became the 23rd player to make a first team debut having come through the B team pathway. “I travelled with everyone and was part of the meetings. I got told to warm up and then Thomas called me and Ivan (Toney) over. That was the moment that I realised I was going to come on, it happened pretty quickly but I was just so happy to get on.

“The main focus is to get on the pitch and do your job which is all I was focused on at the time. It went so quickly but I really enjoyed it. The little taste I’ve had just makes me hungry for more.”

Ryan’s journey to that debut is not the conventional route that many players take before making their senior debut. He is not a player that has been a part of an Academy system from a young age. He’s had setbacks and taken the initiative on himself and believed that eventually his opportunity will come. At the age of 15 he trialled with Fulham but nothing materialised in the long term. He then spent time with Queens Park Rangers a year or so later but once again he found himself back where it had started as a nine-year-old, Leatherhead.

The midfielder worked his way through the ranks at the Surrey club as he progressed into their Under-18s which preceded a trial with Brentford during the 2020/21 season. He scored goals and impressed as a Trialist and showed a willingness to run and develop with a down to earth nature. That then turned into his first professional contract with the Bees in January 2021. Reflecting on the start of his journey in West London with Brentford, Ryan said: “I was on trial for a while, and I remember that physically it was tough compared to what I was experiencing in non-league. I adjusted to it pretty quickly and enjoyed it. If you’re fit, then you can just focus on your technical and tactical things, and I remember at Leatherhead I was always doing my individual running as well- I’d do 5k runs three times a week so I’ve always been able to keep myself fit because I knew an opportunity would come and it did with Brentford.”

At 17 Ryan was slight but he had the ability to pop up with goals, and as he began to develop physically and technically, his game has flourished over the past year or so as he has benefited from everything that the B team pathway has to offer.

“My whole game in general has improved and I’m very confident,” said the youngster. “I think my ability to impact games and being able to get on the ball as much as possible has got better, as well as making things happen in the final third.

“The variety in the games programme is really good. We’ve played against teams like Monaco as well as National League teams. We’ve also played against teams likes Arsenal and their reserve side, as well as the hybrid games as a Brentford XI. I’m playing against players that have played in the Premier League and they have a lot of experience so you can test yourself and see where you’re at. I feel like I’ve done well in those games which has given me a lot of confidence.

“The Atlantic Cup and the trip to Cyprus was really important, they were high quality games, and you get punished if you’re not completely at it. It’s realistic to competitive matches and I feel we did well in them and played to a very good level."

Having become yet another player to turn out for the first team having been a part of Brentford B, Ryan feels that his debut, as well as the 22 others, are a sign of the excellent work within the B team set up.

“The staff have helped me so much; they encourage and push you. On the pitch they are hard on you and off the pitch they put their arm round you and talk to you. They’ve been so key to my development, and I owe a lot to them.

“It’s credit to the B team staff and everyone that’s around it,” said the youngster. “They create an environment and atmosphere for improvement, and they develop players which shows in the numbers. When players get the chance to train with the first team they are ready and if they do well then that opportunity to make a debut will come. It’s happened a lot, so the club must be doing something right.”

Ryan’s integration to that first team group hasn’t necessarily been all about this season. Over the course of the 2021/22 campaign the midfielder had the chance to sample life within the group in training as well as play a part in Brentford XI fixtures under the first team coaching staff.

Discussing how he’s adjusted, he said: “It was good to train with the first team last year because I got a taste of what it’s like and where I needed to improve in certain areas. When I go over, I know how intense it’s going to be so it was great to do that. I was more excited because it’s an opportunity and you can only improve from it. I was happy to be involved in training and some matches and it’s brought me on a lot. It helps with your confidence, and it’s improved me as a player as well.”

Having been a part of the travelling squad for the training camp in Germany, Ryan was able to get an extended period working under Thomas Frank, his staff, and players, an experience he can certainly take a lot from. Looking back on pre-season, he explained: “Initially I was with the B team for the first couple of days doing some testing and then when the first team came back I was training with them. I thought I trained well and then I found out that I was going to Germany which I was really happy about. It was a good experience, to train twice a day, it was tough but great to be around the first team and I thought I did well. When it comes to training and you cycle down with all the lads, they’re all very welcoming and chatty so it’s easy to get along with them. It was nice to be a part of that team bonding.

“At times I look at the bigger picture and say to myself that I’m doing well but you can’t always be thinking like that, you have to take it day by day and take each training session like it’s your last. I’ve had my head down and been working hard so I’ve not thought about things too much because I want to get on with it.”

Stepping into an environment of players who have just come off the back of an impressive first season in the Premier League is something that Ryan has learned a great deal from, and he has enjoyed matching the competitive nature that the group demands in training.

“All the lads are really welcoming, and they treat you like you’re any other player. If you’re not doing something right, then they will tell you which is the way it should be. Everyone is very supportive. The demands are very high, it’s a whole different level of competitiveness, if you’re 3-0 up in a small-sided games and then it goes to 3-1 then everyone will still be fuming about conceding, even though they’ve still won the game. That builds that steely determination to keep clean sheets,” explained Ryan.

So, which player does the youngster look up to from a performance perspective? Occupying a similar role to Danish international Mathias Jensen, Ryan can’t help but be impressed when training with the experienced midfielder.

He said: “Mathias is technically a very good player and he’s always picking out passes before he’s even got the ball. He takes minimal touches and tries to find little passes. He’s very impressive. We play a similar position and he’s a similar player who likes to pass and is always looking for options so I look to learn from him.”

Having helped the side into the hat for Round Three of the Carabao Cup with the 2-0 win over Colchester, the Bees have now been drawn against another League Two side, Gillingham. Never one to get to ahead of himself, there’s no doubt that Ryan will be working as hard as ever to keep himself in the thoughts of the first team staff, and if he keeps putting in the effort, the youngster will be confident about challenging for more minutes.