Speaking to Bees Player, Rico said: “It was a good experience and hopefully I can get more caps for England. It would be a great experience for me to go to the World Cup in Korea. It is a big tournament with people like Andreas Iniesta playing in it when they were younger. It was a bit different going away but I know the lads now from going away with them a few times. My main aim is to get in that England team and get more caps.”
The defender was speaking at Brentford’s 2016/17 Player of the Year Awards dinner on Sunday evening which saw supporters, players, and staff come together to celebrate a third straight top-ten finish in the Sky Bet Championship. Rico, who joined from Walsall last August, admitted it had been a steep learning curve at times, adapting to the second tier, but he feels he is in a good place now to come out fighting next season.
“I think I have adapted well to the Championship coming from League One,” said Rico. “I feel that I have done well and I just want to crack on next season and keep it going. The league is a bit more physical. I realised that in training as soon as I came here. It took me a while to get it going but I am playing now and I feel good.”
Rico spent more than eight years at the West Midlands' club before his move to Griffin Park last summer. The 19-year-old believes that he has joined a young, hungry group at Brentford and predicts that big things may be just around the corner for the club.
“It was different because it was my first move but the lads have made me feel welcome,” said Rico. It is a good group to be part of. It is a young group, like we had at Walsall, and they have made me feel welcome. We all want to go in one direction and that is forward. We all want to get better and it is good to be a part of that. We have been good this season, if a little bit inconsistent but I think we can make it right next season and hopefully get promotion.”