As Toumani Diagouraga embarks on a new adventure with Leeds United today, Brentford fans will remember him as a player who was instrumental in helping The Bees climb the Football League ladder.

He speaks to us in his final interview as a Brenford player, which was conducted before he moved to Yorkshire. During his time in a Brentford shirt, Diagouraga has become known for pulling the midfield strings and letting the players around him shine. Even though Toums has worked hard and kept his head down, the fans have never taken his special talent for granted; this was shown when they voted him Player of the Year for the 2014/2015 season.

“It is very nice to be appreciated. The fans can see that I work hard for the team and have supported me from the beginning,” said Toumani.  “It was especially good to get that award after the season before when I went out on loan.”

Moving to Portsmouth on loan in February 2014 was a tricky period for the 28-year-old midfielder.

“Portsmouth was a strange time,” said Toumani. “At first I didn’t want to go on loan but ultimately it changed my career. If it wasn’t for that loan spell I don’t think I would have stayed at Brentford, I probably would have left.”

The man that brought Toumani back to Griffin Park is of course the same man who has pursued him from Scotland.

“Warburton was very important to me and Brentford,” said Toums.  “With Rosler we played to other teams strengths but with Warbuton it was about our strengths and letting other teams worry about us. I am one of the longest serving Brentford players and it does feel like a long time because of the process the team has made. I didn’t think we would be playing Championship football and to be in the Play-Offs last year – I wouldn’t have dreamt of that.”

Even though Toumani’s midfield role is slightly more defensive, there has rarely been a dull moment.

“It has been all out attack over the last few years and must have been enjoyable for the fans,” said Toumani. “More often than not we have won the games and we go forward non-stop, whether we are 2-0 up or 2-0 down we will be going for another goal.”

He couldn’t have asked for a more exciting way to celebrate his 200th league appearance for the Bees. Philip Hofmann’s injury time winner gave Brentford all three points against Nottingham Forest during a thrilling encounter at Griffin Park. It was a memorable landmark for the French player who has been at the club since the beginning of 2010.

“I wasn’t really paying attention until it came around but it is a good achievement,” said Toumani. “I kept going on loan in the past and wanted to settle somewhere and thankfully I did that here.”

Starting his youth career with a local club in Paris, Diagouraga was scouted by Watford when he was 16. He was with the Hornets when they were promoted to the Premier League in the 2005/2006 season.

“It was an easy decision to come to the UK because it was my dream to play here,” said Toumani. “When Watford got promoted I played one game but I was always in the squad and was with the squad for the Play-Off final. It was good as a youngster to be in and around it and to see what it meant to the club to get promoted.”

Away from the excitement of Griffin Park, Toumani spends most of his spare time with his two children.

“When I’m not with my kids, I like to go bowling. I often go to Park Royal in Acton.”

Toumani was pleased to see the arrival of two new French faces at the start of the season: Yohan Barbet and Maxime Colin.

“We get on well, and it is nice to speak French with them” said Toumani. “On their first days they came up to talk to me because I am one of the players who has been here the longest.”

The three French players were not going to miss a chance to see their national side take on England at Wembley.

“We had already planned to go,” said Toumani, who was born in Paris and has family there. “But after everything that happened (the November Paris attacks) we were not going to miss it. It was very weird, something you don’t expect, and don’t want that to happen anywhere in the world – but to have something like that happen at home was devastating. I was actually planning to go back over that time but because my kids have got school I couldn’t so I stayed in England instead. And that happened.”

Despite the attacks being fresh in the memories of French people, and many others, Toumani doesn’t let himself think of the threat of terrorism.

“I am not sure how my family in Paris feel but from my point of view I try not to worry about things that may or may not happen,” said Toumani. “Things like this do put football into perspective though.”

So other than promotion to the Championship - what has been Toumani’s favourite moment during his six years with Brentford?

“It’s a hard one but if I had to pick one, I would probably say it was the Milton Keynes Dons match at Griffin Park when we were 3-0 down at half-time and came back to 3-3,” said Toumani. “That was a good game – and felt like a victory.”

Interestingly enough, it was also a game where Toumani remained on the bench. But perhaps it is unsurprising that a player who has been so unselfish on the pitch for The Bees, would choose a match when he was supporting on the bench as his favourite.