David Button is looking to improve his consistency ahead to his third season at Griffin Park.
After two impressive seasons which have seen David an almost ever present in sides which have won promotion from the Sky Bet League One and then made the Sky Bet Championship play-offs, David said his next aim is to keep his standards as high as possible as often as possible.
“I think I need to find that level of consistency now for me,” said David, speaking to Bees Player. “I feel like I had quite a few good games last season but there were a few where I wanted to do better. I am aiming to keep my standards high in every minute of every game this season.”
David was speaking from the club’s pre-season Training Camp in Portugal which he said has been a great start to the season.
“It has been going really well,” said David. “The goalkeepers have been having some good training with Simon Royce. He has been putting us through our paces in the hot weather. The facilities are great and all the lads are getting on well so it has been good.”
With Richard Lee’s retirement in the summer David is now the most senior member of a close knit goalkeeping unit that includes 21-year-old Jack Bonham and teenager Mark Smith.
David said, at 26, it is strange to be the oldest goalkeeper at the club but he said it is a role and responsibility that he wants to take seriously.
“It is a bit strange being the oldest at 26,” said David. “It is my first experience at that. Simon Royce is the main man but we have Jack Bonham and Mark Smith here. Richard Lee was fantastic at talking to people on and off the pitch and I have learned a lot from him so it is up to me now to pass that on to Mark and Jack now. It is not always easy to make the step up from the Development Squad to the First Team because the quality of football is a lot better but Mark is very talented and I don’t think he will have any problems from that point of view. He might just need that little bit of encouragement every now and then to get him through it.”
Richard’s retirement also means the number one shirt is now vacant but David said he is not interested in moving away from his number 27 shirt.
“Bob offered me the Number One shirt but mine and the wife’s birthdays are both the 27th and I feel like it has served me quite well since I came here,” said David. “I have had two good seasons so I don’t want to change anything. I feel like we are going in the right direction so there is no need to change. Plus Richard Lee’s boots are too big to fill so I’ll take the easy option then.”