Brentford midfielder Mathias Jensen has expressed his delight at signing a new contract with the Bees - and explained why he believes he has taken his game to a new level this season.
Jensen has been in great form this campaign, with only Ivan Toney recording more goal contributions for the Bees than the Dane in the Premier League.
And he stated that he wants to continue progressing at the club, after extending his stay until 2026.
"It means a lot," Jensen began. "The hard work paid off, I guess!
“I’ve been at the club three-and-a-half years now, time is flying, but I've enjoyed every part of it.
“It was my aim when I came here to make it to the Premier League and we did, so I'm enjoying it."
He continued: "The club is going in the right direction. We’re still new in the Premier League, but we're taking small steps every day, both on and off the field, so I just want to continue to be a part of the journey going forward.”
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said that Jensen has been "one of our best players this season", when asked about the player's contract extension.
And the midfielder spoke about working under Frank, and how he is looking forward to continuing to play under his fellow Dane in west London.
Jensen said: "He had a big influence on me joining the club. He's always trusted me, even though there have been times when I haven't played as much as I wanted to, but I'm also aware that you need to perform when you get the chance.
“I’ve played a lot of games in my three-and-a-half years here. I came from Spain in a year where I was injured a lot and I had to get back on track.
“That was the main reason why I came here and I'm really happy for my first few years in Brentford, and I'm looking forward to the next ones.”
With national team team-mate Christian Norgaard out for a large part of the first half of the season, Jensen has had to adapt in the Bees midfield, and he explained how the different changes he has made this season have helped him develop his game.
“I've definitely developed my aggression," he said, "I've always been a technical player who doesn't really enjoy the big tackles, but that's what I wanted to add to my game when I came to England.
“I knew it would be a bit more physical and I really tried to improve that, so I guess I'm getting better at it.
“And then, with the numbers, assists and goals, I don't think I'd been doing well enough, so I'm also trying to add more of that to my game.”
"I've definitely developed my aggression. I've always been a technical player who doesn't really enjoy the big tackles, but that's what I wanted to add to my game when I came to England"
He added: "Now I've adapted to the tempo of the Premier League, then I think I'm more suited to this league. I'm not the quickest player, but I'm quite clever and I try to think forward, two steps ahead - I have to be good at that when I'm not the fastest player.
“So, if I can keep the tempo in my head, then I think I'm a good fit for the league.”
Jensen also discussed his favourite moments in a Brentford shirt so far and, while highlighting the 4-0 win over Manchester United as a great game to be a part of, there was one other match that stood out for the 27-year-old.
“There's been a few but, obviously, the Play-Off final that we ended up winning, not the first one, but the second one. That was a massive highlight," said the central midfielder.
“I think just the relief I experienced when I heard the final whistle was hard to explain. I clearly remember the feeling and I got so emotional because that was the aim when I came to Brentford, to make it to the Premier League, and to do it with a lot of good team-mates was amazing.
"And to now experience the Premier League is, of course, unbelievable.”