Toumani Diagouraga has thanked the supporters who voted for him as the midfielder picked up the Supporters’ Player of the Year award at Sunday’s end of season awards.

The 27-year-old midfielder has been in superb form this season, making 41 appearances in all competitions, as The Bees reached the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs.

Having been part of a team that had enjoyed such success this season Toumani said it came as a real shock when his name was read out as Player of the Year.

Now the Paris-born midfielder is hoping to finish the season on a real high as Brentford aim for life in the Premier League.

Speaking to Bees Player after picking up his award Toumani said: “It is very nice and very flattering to get this recognition but there are two more games left in the Play-Offs and hopefully a third.

“Now I am just focussed on Middlesbrough.

“I didn’t expect this at all because I thought there were a few players who could have won it.

“Alex Pritchard could have won it or Jota but everyone has been magnificent this year so I didn’t know that I was going to get the award at all.

“I wasn’t in the team at the start of the season.

“I played against Watford but was then out of the team and came back in against Derby County.

“From that point on I was pretty much a regular in the team which was good.

“Thank you very much to the supporters who voted for me.

"I didn’t expect it and it means a lot

“Any award means something but I am very humbled that the supporters have voted for me.”

Toumani joined Brentford in 2010 and has been a key part of the progression from mid-table Sky Bet League One side to Premier League challengers.

Earlier this year Toumani became the first player born outside the United Kingdom to make more than 200 appearances for Brentford.

The midfielder spent the early part of 2014 on loan to League Two side Portsmouth before returning for the end of The Bees League One promotion campaign.

Toumani praised the coaching staff at Brentford for the transformation in his form this season and he has challenged himself to be even better next season.

“The manager and David Weir have been very good,” said Toumani.

“Every match they have been pushing me to be better in every single game.

“That has definitely helped me this year.

“I had shown glimpses here and there before but this season it had been on a much more regular basis.

“You have to be consistent every year and I have shown this season that I can do it.

“There is no reason that I shouldn’t do it next year or the season after.”

The First-Leg of Brentford’s Play-Off Semi-Final takes place at Griffin Park this Friday with Middlesbrough the visitors to West London.

The Teesiders beat Mark Warburton’s side home and away in the regular season after a 4-0 win at The Riverside and a 1-0 win at Griffin Park.

For Toumani those earlier results are irrelevant under the pressure of a Play-Off Semi-Final.

The midfielder, who has lost out with Brentford before at Wembley in the Play-Offs, said: “I thought we deserved to win the home game but they did.

“That doesn’t mean anything for Friday as we start from fresh now.

“The play-offs are nervous but it is something that you have to relish and step up to get the right result.

“We have a little bit of work to do first but if we get to Wembley we need to forget about what has happened in the past, make sure we win the game and make sure we don’t lose another play-off final.

“It is another game and we just have to be relaxed and relish the challenge.

“On the day we need to perform and hopefully get the result that we want.”