Youth Team central defender Gradi Milenge thinks Brentford have the potential to go all the way in this season’s FA Youth Cup.
The Bees’ campaign begins tonight at North Ferriby United, on the banks of the River Humber, when they face Premier League side Hull City at the Third Round stage.
Brentford have exited the Youth Cup at this stage in the last two seasons and Gradi is keen that they avoid an unwanted hat-trick when they face Jon Beale’s side this evening.
Speaking to Bees Player ahead of the match Gradi said the mood among the group has been excellent.
Leading the Under-18 Professional Development League Two South Gradi said confidence is high and he hopes that can be translated into a win this evening.
“Everyone is buzzing for the game and looking forward to it,” said Gradi.
“We were really heartbroken to go out in the Third Round last year: we thought we had a lot of potential in the group.
“This year I feel that we have even more potential in the group than last year.
“I really think we could get a good run this year so everyone is buzzing to get on with the game and they will put their all into the game.
“This year we want to win it all.
“We play the league games every week so we get used to it.
“You don’t really get used to the Youth Cup: you lose and you are out.
“We treat it differently and there is a special buzz for the game tomorrow.
“I know a lot of the boys our age around the country and I think we are just as good if not better.
“There isn’t a reason why we shouldn’t win this.
“The league we are in is a very competitive league and there are teams in our league who will do very well in this competition.
“The fact that we are leading the league shows that we can compete with Category One teams.
“Three years ago we got the Fourth Round and we want to go further than that and just keep going.
“Last year I knew I had the next year to go but this year I know it is my last year and I really want to go out and win it.”
Hull City are also enjoying a fine season, topping the Football League Youth Alliance North East division, despite a recent run of four games without a win.
The two sides have met at this stage before and it was The Bees who came out on top winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Myles Hippolyte and Charlie Adams back in 2011.
The Bees made the long journey up to the North East yesterday and stayed in a hotel overnight before beginning their pre-match preparations this morning.
Gradi is expecting a good footballing game this evening and feels that he and his side couldn’t be better prepared ahead of the match.
“From what we understand they play similarly to how we play,” said Gradi.
“They press and they play out at the back and those are two aspects of the game that we do as well.
“It is going to be a game where whoever does what they do best will win the game.
“Everyone has been doing well in training and everyone is looking forward to it.
“The coaches have prepared us really well.
“There isn’t a reason why we shouldn’t do well tomorrow.
"I remember in my first year, I didn’t really play that much, but I remember the preparation.
“The year after that the preparation got better and the team got better.
“This year the preparation has got better and the team is stronger than it has ever been.
“Although Hull City are a Category Three Academy being a Premier League side goes through the club.
“They are a Premier League club so the Academy will be treated like their first-team is treated.
“We respect them but being a Championship side doesn’t mean anything.
“We are just as good if not better than them.”
Gradi admits there is a different pressure from playing one-off cup games than the regular process of playing league games but believes it is a more realistic first-team pressure.
The pressure of needing to win first-team games of football is similar, for Gradi, to that of having to win one-off cup games.
Gradi believes he and his teammates just want to keep winning games of football in the Youth Cup and continue to test themselves against some of the biggest names in Youth Football.
“The first team are doing really well and they are fighting to get into the Premier League,” said Gradi.
“They have to go out there and look to win.
“It is like that in the league for us but there isn’t as much pressure: we don’t have to win.
“The Youth Cup is all different and it is where everything changes.
“We want to win the Youth Cup and if we don’t win we are out straight away.
“Everyone really wants to win this.
“I am not looking too far ahead but we want to test ourselves against the best players in the country at our age.
“We all believe we are as good if not better.
“Drawing someone like Arsenal and Chelsea would be a brilliant chance for us to show what we are capable of and I hope that is what happens.”
Bees Players subscribers can listen to the full interview here