Tom Field believes that the real hard work must start now as he hopes to break into the first team at Griffin Park after signing a new contract earlier this week.

The 18-year-old left-back put pen to paper on a Development Squad deal until the summer of 2017 just months after signing his first professional contract with The Bees.

Tom, who spoke to Bees Player earlier, admits that this contract is only another step towards his dream of first team football and is not an end in itself.

“The emotion is joy at getting the contract,” said Tom. “I have been working so hard for this since pre-season as have James Ferry and Zain Westbrooke who also got contracts. We don’t stop working hard now that we have got a new contract: we work even harder. Kevin O’Connor told me that the contract was a reward for now but this isn’t the end. I have to keep going and work for contract in another four months. He told me not to stop working hard because I have a new contract, work hard for another contract and another one after that until you reach the first-team. I see this contract as a stepping stone rather than 18 months and then that is it. It is a short-term deal and then hopefully getting into the first team in the future.”

In recent weeks the 2012 Milk Cup winner has found himself lining up for the first team in a pair of behind closed doors matches against AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur.

Aside from just the experience of playing against two Premier League sides Tom added that it was a really good learning tool to see where he is as a player at the moment.

“It was a great experience playing in those friendlies against AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur,” said Tom. “I was up against Matt Richie and Andros Townsend who are both Premier League players and that was a great experience. I was learning from their movement as they are two different types of players so it was a good experience. The game exposed some weaknesses and those are things that I have to work on. I thought I did well considering what level they are at and I got forward well but they did show me things I can work on.”

Leading the Development Squad is former player Kevin O’Connor who spent 15 seasons at Griffin Park as a player and made more than 500 appearances for The Bees.

For Tom having someone with that experience to talk to and learn from has been great as he aims to push on to a first team contract in the future.

“Kevin has so much knowledge about the game and so much experience,” said Tom. “As a defender he is able to give me so much information both on and off the pitch. He has so much knowledge about how to break through at Brentford and how to maintain a first team spot for so long. He is a really good coach to work under. Hopefully in the next four or five months I can get another contract which will be the big contract that moves me into the first team dressing room. If I can’t get in that dressing room then hopefully I can get in and around the first team again.”

Bees Player subscribers can listen to the full interview below