Courtney Senior feels that he learned a lot about the pressure of playing competitive football during his loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers earlier this year.
The 17-year-old joined the Sky Bet League Two high-flyers on a month-long loan in January and went on to make his league debut in a 2-0 home defeat to Plymouth Argyle last month.
Courtney felt that spending a month out in Sky Bet League Two showed him a lot about what it takes to be a footballer and the pressures that come with playing in the Football League.
Speaking to Bees Player following the Development Squad’s 2-2 draw with Millwall on Tuesday Courtney said he feels he has returned from Wycombe a better player and hopes this will help him to push on through the ranks at Brentford.
“Wycombe was really good,” said Courtney.
“I made my debut there which was very good for my development as a 17-year-old playing in the Football League.
“When I was warming up before going on I scared to be honest but you just have to crack on and try to do the best that I can.
“League Two is not really fun football; you have to win and you have got to get the results.
“They are pushing for promotion as well so the morale in that dressing room was really high.
“In the Under-21s you are playing for three points but in the league people’s jobs are on the line if you don’t win so there is pressure.
“It is very different from Under-18 and Under-21s football because there aren’t many fans at those games.
“At Wycombe if I did a bit of skill on the sidelines they would cheer me and that that gave me a lot of confidence.
“I think I have learned what to do in the right situations.
“If it is the last minute and we are winning 2-1 you just need to get rid of it and don’t dwell on the ball.
“At Wycombe it was about not dwelling on the ball and making sure that you did the right things at the right times and getting the result.”
Since returning from the Berkshire club Courtney has been training and playing almost exclusively with the Development Squad even though he is still eligible for the Youth Team.
The 17-year-old has been working under former Everton and Republic of Ireland midfielder Lee Carsley and he praised the work that the Development Squad manager has been doing with him.
“Since I came back from Wycombe Wanderers I have been mostly training with the Under-21s which is good,” said Courtney.
“I am learning a lot more because it is bigger, stronger and more intense and that is good for my development.
“I am working hard on my tracking back and my running but I am also working on what I am doing in the final third in terms of getting my shots and my crosses off.
“Lee Carsley helps me a lot and we speak a lot.
“He wants me to push on and try and get into the first team.
“Lee is giving me a lot of confidence because he is putting me in the team and he is telling me to carry on and run at players.
“He has given me a lot of confidence to go and do what I need to do in the final third.
“As a winger you have got to affect the game.
“You need to get assists, score or win penalties so if I can carry on doing that I think I will go far.
“I need to work on scoring more goals but getting assists is as good as scoring.”
The work will Lee appears to be paying off as Courtney was involved in The Bees opening goal during Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Millwall.
The winger being brought down inside the area for a penalty which Jermaine Udumaga tucked away.
The draw meant Brentford extended their run to one defeat in seven but, having led 2-0 in the first-half, Courtney was disappointed they couldn’t hang on for the win.
“I thought that we dominated them all over the pitch for the majority of the game,” said Courtney.
“We didn’t score enough goals and that let them back in the game.
“We have dominated the game and they haven’t really been on top so for them to score is a bit of a downer for us.
“Overall I think it was a good performance as everybody wanted to get touches on the ball.
“Last week when we played them there were a few people hiding, but everyone wanted to get on the ball today.
“We like to get on the ball and play from side to side so I think the pitch helped us because it was a good surface.
“The morale in the dressing room is good and we haven’t lost a game in about three or four weeks now.
“We need to keep that going.”