BRENTFORD
AT THE RIVERSIDE
LAURI COX introduces today’s opponents...
Manager Dean Smith Starting his playing career with Walsall in 1989, over the course of five years he played 166 league and cup games. Signing with Hereford United in 1994, three years and 146 appearances later he moved on to Leyton Orient. In six years with Orient he made 309 appearances in all competitions, before earning a move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2003. After a season with Wednesday he moved on to Port Vale, retiring in January 2005. He scored 54 goals in 566 league games in a 16-year career in the Football League. Returning to Leyton Orient, he worked as assistant manager until January 2009. In July 2009, he was appointed as Head of Youth at Walsall, before taking the management reins in January 2011. He took Walsall from relegation certainties to safety in his first four months in charge. He then took them to the 2015 final of the Football League Trophy, before leaving the club to manage Brentford in November 2015
BRENTFORD .
www.brentfordfc.com | Ground Name Griffin Park, where Brentford
FC has played its home games since 1904
Capacity 12,763 | Nickname The Bees
21 Lasse Vibe Position: Striker Nationality: Danish DOB: 22.02.1987
ONE TO WATCH
Began his career in his native Denmark with local club AIA-Tranberg, before moving to AGF in 2001. He returned to AIA-Tranberg in 2003, before returning to AGF. In December 2008, Vibe signed a contract with 2. division West side FC Fyn. Joined 1. division side FC Vestsjælland, in February 2010. In December 2011, Vibe moved up to the Superliga to sign for SønderjyskE. Vibe moved to Sweden to sign for Allsvenskan side IFK Göteborg in June 2013. He was nominated for the 2014 Danish Player of the Year award, but lost to Christian Eriksen. Joined Brentford in July 2015. Has represented Denmark at the Olympics and full international level.
43
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
Daniel Bentley
The most successful spell in Brentford’s history came in the 1930s golden era where they regularly secured top-six finishes in the First Division. Brentford have won the Second Division once. Their best performance in the FA Cup was reaching the quarter-finals. One of the prouder pieces of silverware in Brentford’s cabinet is the London War Cup which they won in 1942. The tournament was only held twice and Brentford reached both finals.
1 Daniel Bentley Position: Goalkeeper Nationality: English D.O.B: 13.07.1993
Born in Basildon, Essex, and began his career as a centre back with hometown club Hutton Medway, before joining the Arsenal Academy aged eight. He was released in 2008 and signed for Southend United, with whom he started his apprenticeship in March 2009. Was sent out on loan to Conference South club Braintree Town initially on cover for one match. However, he ended up staying and made two appearances for the club against Welling United and Dover Athletic. Joined Brentford in 2016.
3 Rico Henry
birthday. He made 46 professional appearances for Walsall, before joining Brentford and former manager Dean Smith in 2016. Has represented England at U19 and U20 levels.
4 Lewis Macleod Position: Midfielder Nationality: Scottish D.O.B: 16.06.1994
Macleod began his career with youth side Newmains Hammers, playing a year above his age-group, before joining Livingston. He signed for Scottish Premier League club Rangers as a 10-year-old in 2004. Joined Brentford in 2015, and has represented Scotland at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 levels.
5 Andreas Bjelland
Position: Defender Nationality: English D.O.B: 08.07.1997
Position: Defender Nationality: Danish D.O.B: 11.07.1988
Henry joined Walsall at age 11 and progressed through the youth ranks to make his first (noncompetitive) senior appearance for the club shortly after his 16th
Bjelland started his career with Lyngby, having turned professional in 2006. He joined FC Nordsjaelland in 2009, before moving to the Netherlands to join
44
FC Twente in 2012. Three years later he moved to England to join Brentford. He has represented Denmark at U16 to senior level, and has 25 caps since his debut in 2010.
7 Florian Jozefzoon Position: Midfielder Nationality: Dutch D.O.B: 09.02.1991
A product of the Ajax Academy, Jozefzoon turned professional in 2010. After a season on loan at Breda, the winger left Ajax from RKC Waalwijk in 2012 before joining PSV a year later. He moved to Brentford in January 2017 on a deal until the end of the season that was extended in the summer. Jozefzoon has represented his country at U19 and U21 levels.
8 Nico Yennaris Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 24.05.1993
Yennaris joined the Arsenal Academy aged eight in 2001, turning professional with the club 10 years later. After short
loan spells at Notts County and Bournemouth in 2012 and 2013 respectively, Yennaris left Arsenal for Brentford in 2014 having made just one senior league appearance for the Gunners. The versatile midfielder has recently surpassed 100 games for the Bees.
9 Neal Maupay Position: Striker Nationality: French D.O.B: 14.08.1996
Maupay turned professional with French side Nice in 2012, having spent the previous five years with the club’s youth set-up. After three years he moved to Saint-Etienne, enjoying a successful loan spell with Brest the following season. He moved to Brentford in July 2017 and signed a four-year contract. Maupay has represented France at U16, U17, U19 and most recently U21 level.
10 Josh McEachran Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 01.03.1993
Former Middlesbrough loanee McEachran started out with Chelsea, turning professional in 2010 after nine years with the club’s Academy. Still only 24, McEachran has had loan spells with Swansea, Boro, Watford, Wigan and Vitesse, since 2012, before he joined Brentford on a permanent deal in 2015. The central midfielder has appeared for England at U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 level.
11 Ollie Watkins Position: Striker Nationality: English D.O.B: 30.12.1995
Joined Exeter City’s Academy at U11 in 2004, signing a
professional contract with the club 10 years later in April 2014. He spent 2014/15 on loan at Westonsuper-Mare, and joined Brentford in July 2017. He netted his first goal in the 3-1 EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon in August.
12 Kamohelo Mokotjo Position: Midfielder Nationality: South African D.O.B: 11.03.1991
A current South African international, Mokotjo started his career with SuperSport United in his homeland. He rose to prominence with Feyenoord having joined the Dutch club in 2009. He went on to play for PEC Zwolle and latterly FC Twente, where he made over 100 appearances, before signing for Brentford in July 2017.
14 John Egan Position: Defender Nationality: Irish D.O.B: 20.10.1992
Josh McEachran
Cork-born Egan joined Sunderland’s Academy of Light in 2009, turning professional two years later. Loan spells at Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Bradford City and Southend followed, before he joined Gillingham in 2014. Two years and 90 appearances later, he moved to Brentford in July 2016, and played a prominent part in last season’s Championship campaign.
15 Ryan Woods Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 13.12.1993
Began his career with Shrewsbury Town, having graduated through their Academy in 2012. The midfielder made 103 appearances Ollie Watkins
US v THEM: Games won: 13 Games drawn: 3 Games lost: 7 45
Ryan Woods
in the 2015 final of the Football League Trophy. He was named in League One’s PFA Team of the Year for his performances in the 2015/16 season. He joined Brentford on 1 July 2016. Has represented St Kitts and Nevis on the international stage.
20 Josh Clarke Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 05.07.1994
for the Shrews, before joining Brentford in September 2015. Woods was a prominent figure in each of the last two Championship seasons for Brentford.
18 Alan Judge Position: Midfielder Nationality: Irish D.O.B: 11.11.1988
Began his career at Blackburn Rovers and returned to the club in 2013 after a two-and-a-half season spell with Notts County. Judge spent the second half of the 2013/14 season on loan at Brentford, then in League One, before signing permanently in the summer of 2014. Judge represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level and made his senior debut in March 2016.
19 Romaine Sawyers Position: Midfielder Nationality: British Kittitian D.O.B: 02.11.1991
A West Bromwich Albion Academy graduate, he had brief spells on loan at Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town and Walsall. He signed with Walsall in July 2013, following his release from West Brom. Played on the losing side
Clarke signed his first professional contract for Brentford in 2013, two years after joining their youth set-up. Had a host of lower and non-league loans between 2012 and 2015, before making his breakthrough at Griffin Park last season, when he made 30 appearances for the club.
22 Henrik Dalsgaard Position: Defender Nationality: Danish D.O.B: 27.07.1989
Dalsgaard joined AaB in 2008 on a free transfer, making his professional debut for the club later that season. He went on to make 185 appearances for the Danish side before joining Belgian
FUN FACT When Brentford were formed in 1889, there was a vote held by members of the Brentford Rowing Club – who needed something to do during the winter months. They chose football over rugby union by eight votes to five.
Romaine Sawyers
Henrik Dalsgaard
COMMON DENOMINATORS
side Zulte Waregem in December 2015. Eighteen months later he joined Brentford on a three-year contract. Dalsgaard is a current Danish international and has five caps since his debut in 2016.
Mike Allen, Marcus Bent, Billy Brawn, Jack Clough, John Curtis, Adam Forshaw, Joe Frail, Chris Kamara, Emmanuel Ledesma, Paul Merson, Fred Pentland, Stan Webb.
25 Theo Archibald Position: Midfielder Nationality: Scottish D.O.B: 05.03.1998
Archibald is a product of the Celtic Academy, signing his first professional contract in 2015. After a loan spell at Albion Rovers in 2017, he signed for Brentford in May of the same year, making his debut against Ipswich Town in August. The midfielder has been capped for Scotland’s U21 side.
27 Justin Shaibu Position: Striker Nationality: Danish D.O.B: 28.10.1997
Shaibu began his career with Vallensbaek, before joining HB Koge aged 14. He made his first team debut aged 16 in August 2014. Left his homeland in 2016 Josh Clarke
to join Brentford in July, where he started off in their reserve side, before making his first-team debut in August 2016.
28 Luke Daniels Position: Goalkeeper Nationality: English D.O.B: 05.01.1988
Daniels spent seven years at Manchester United as a youngster, before joining West Brom’s Academy in 2004. He signed a professional contract in 2006, and made just one league appearance for the Baggies in the following nine years, which were populated with loan spells at Motherwell, Shrewsbury, Tranmere, Charlton, Rochdale, Bristol Rovers and Southend United. In 2015 he signed for Scunthorpe, making 101 league appearances for the Iron, before signing for Brentford in May 2017.
29 Yoann Barbet Position: Defender Nationality: French D.O.B: 10.05.1993
Barbet started his senior career with Bordeaux’s B side in 2011, signing for Chamois Niortais in 2014. After a season there, he moved to Brentford in June 2015.
33 Chris Mepham Position: Defender Nationality: Welsh D.O.B: 05.11.1997 Danny Lafferty
The Welsh U21 international joined the club in 2014 as an U16 player, and has recently signed a
Yoann Barbet
five-year deal, having been part of Brentford’s B-team set-up for the last year.
47 Sergi Canos Position: Striker Nationality: Spanish D.O.B: 02.02.1997
Canos spent time at Barcelona’s La Masia between 2010 and 2013, before joining Liverpool’s Academy in 2013. He signed a professional contract in 2015, and spent the 2015/16 season on loan at Brentford. He left Anfield to join Norwich City on a permanent deal in July 2016, but made just three league appearances before returning to Griffin Park permanently in January 2017.
LET’S GET SOCIAL brentfordfc brentfordfootballclub1889 brentfordfc 47
LAURI COX introduces today’s opponents...
Manager Dean Smith Starting his playing career with Walsall in 1989, over the course of five years he played 166 league and cup games. Signing with Hereford United in 1994, three years and 146 appearances later he moved on to Leyton Orient. In six years with Orient he made 309 appearances in all competitions, before earning a move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2003. After a season with Wednesday he moved on to Port Vale, retiring in January 2005. He scored 54 goals in 566 league games in a 16-year career in the Football League. Returning to Leyton Orient, he worked as assistant manager until January 2009. In July 2009, he was appointed as Head of Youth at Walsall, before taking the management reins in January 2011. He took Walsall from relegation certainties to safety in his first four months in charge. He then took them to the 2015 final of the Football League Trophy, before leaving the club to manage Brentford in November 2015
BRENTFORD .
www.brentfordfc.com | Ground Name Griffin Park, where Brentford
FC has played its home games since 1904
Capacity 12,763 | Nickname The Bees
21 Lasse Vibe Position: Striker Nationality: Danish DOB: 22.02.1987
ONE TO WATCH
Began his career in his native Denmark with local club AIA-Tranberg, before moving to AGF in 2001. He returned to AIA-Tranberg in 2003, before returning to AGF. In December 2008, Vibe signed a contract with 2. division West side FC Fyn. Joined 1. division side FC Vestsjælland, in February 2010. In December 2011, Vibe moved up to the Superliga to sign for SønderjyskE. Vibe moved to Sweden to sign for Allsvenskan side IFK Göteborg in June 2013. He was nominated for the 2014 Danish Player of the Year award, but lost to Christian Eriksen. Joined Brentford in July 2015. Has represented Denmark at the Olympics and full international level.
43
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
Daniel Bentley
The most successful spell in Brentford’s history came in the 1930s golden era where they regularly secured top-six finishes in the First Division. Brentford have won the Second Division once. Their best performance in the FA Cup was reaching the quarter-finals. One of the prouder pieces of silverware in Brentford’s cabinet is the London War Cup which they won in 1942. The tournament was only held twice and Brentford reached both finals.
1 Daniel Bentley Position: Goalkeeper Nationality: English D.O.B: 13.07.1993
Born in Basildon, Essex, and began his career as a centre back with hometown club Hutton Medway, before joining the Arsenal Academy aged eight. He was released in 2008 and signed for Southend United, with whom he started his apprenticeship in March 2009. Was sent out on loan to Conference South club Braintree Town initially on cover for one match. However, he ended up staying and made two appearances for the club against Welling United and Dover Athletic. Joined Brentford in 2016.
3 Rico Henry
birthday. He made 46 professional appearances for Walsall, before joining Brentford and former manager Dean Smith in 2016. Has represented England at U19 and U20 levels.
4 Lewis Macleod Position: Midfielder Nationality: Scottish D.O.B: 16.06.1994
Macleod began his career with youth side Newmains Hammers, playing a year above his age-group, before joining Livingston. He signed for Scottish Premier League club Rangers as a 10-year-old in 2004. Joined Brentford in 2015, and has represented Scotland at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 levels.
5 Andreas Bjelland
Position: Defender Nationality: English D.O.B: 08.07.1997
Position: Defender Nationality: Danish D.O.B: 11.07.1988
Henry joined Walsall at age 11 and progressed through the youth ranks to make his first (noncompetitive) senior appearance for the club shortly after his 16th
Bjelland started his career with Lyngby, having turned professional in 2006. He joined FC Nordsjaelland in 2009, before moving to the Netherlands to join
44
FC Twente in 2012. Three years later he moved to England to join Brentford. He has represented Denmark at U16 to senior level, and has 25 caps since his debut in 2010.
7 Florian Jozefzoon Position: Midfielder Nationality: Dutch D.O.B: 09.02.1991
A product of the Ajax Academy, Jozefzoon turned professional in 2010. After a season on loan at Breda, the winger left Ajax from RKC Waalwijk in 2012 before joining PSV a year later. He moved to Brentford in January 2017 on a deal until the end of the season that was extended in the summer. Jozefzoon has represented his country at U19 and U21 levels.
8 Nico Yennaris Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 24.05.1993
Yennaris joined the Arsenal Academy aged eight in 2001, turning professional with the club 10 years later. After short
loan spells at Notts County and Bournemouth in 2012 and 2013 respectively, Yennaris left Arsenal for Brentford in 2014 having made just one senior league appearance for the Gunners. The versatile midfielder has recently surpassed 100 games for the Bees.
9 Neal Maupay Position: Striker Nationality: French D.O.B: 14.08.1996
Maupay turned professional with French side Nice in 2012, having spent the previous five years with the club’s youth set-up. After three years he moved to Saint-Etienne, enjoying a successful loan spell with Brest the following season. He moved to Brentford in July 2017 and signed a four-year contract. Maupay has represented France at U16, U17, U19 and most recently U21 level.
10 Josh McEachran Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 01.03.1993
Former Middlesbrough loanee McEachran started out with Chelsea, turning professional in 2010 after nine years with the club’s Academy. Still only 24, McEachran has had loan spells with Swansea, Boro, Watford, Wigan and Vitesse, since 2012, before he joined Brentford on a permanent deal in 2015. The central midfielder has appeared for England at U16, U17, U19, U20 and U21 level.
11 Ollie Watkins Position: Striker Nationality: English D.O.B: 30.12.1995
Joined Exeter City’s Academy at U11 in 2004, signing a
professional contract with the club 10 years later in April 2014. He spent 2014/15 on loan at Westonsuper-Mare, and joined Brentford in July 2017. He netted his first goal in the 3-1 EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon in August.
12 Kamohelo Mokotjo Position: Midfielder Nationality: South African D.O.B: 11.03.1991
A current South African international, Mokotjo started his career with SuperSport United in his homeland. He rose to prominence with Feyenoord having joined the Dutch club in 2009. He went on to play for PEC Zwolle and latterly FC Twente, where he made over 100 appearances, before signing for Brentford in July 2017.
14 John Egan Position: Defender Nationality: Irish D.O.B: 20.10.1992
Josh McEachran
Cork-born Egan joined Sunderland’s Academy of Light in 2009, turning professional two years later. Loan spells at Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Bradford City and Southend followed, before he joined Gillingham in 2014. Two years and 90 appearances later, he moved to Brentford in July 2016, and played a prominent part in last season’s Championship campaign.
15 Ryan Woods Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 13.12.1993
Began his career with Shrewsbury Town, having graduated through their Academy in 2012. The midfielder made 103 appearances Ollie Watkins
US v THEM: Games won: 13 Games drawn: 3 Games lost: 7 45
Ryan Woods
in the 2015 final of the Football League Trophy. He was named in League One’s PFA Team of the Year for his performances in the 2015/16 season. He joined Brentford on 1 July 2016. Has represented St Kitts and Nevis on the international stage.
20 Josh Clarke Position: Midfielder Nationality: English D.O.B: 05.07.1994
for the Shrews, before joining Brentford in September 2015. Woods was a prominent figure in each of the last two Championship seasons for Brentford.
18 Alan Judge Position: Midfielder Nationality: Irish D.O.B: 11.11.1988
Began his career at Blackburn Rovers and returned to the club in 2013 after a two-and-a-half season spell with Notts County. Judge spent the second half of the 2013/14 season on loan at Brentford, then in League One, before signing permanently in the summer of 2014. Judge represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level and made his senior debut in March 2016.
19 Romaine Sawyers Position: Midfielder Nationality: British Kittitian D.O.B: 02.11.1991
A West Bromwich Albion Academy graduate, he had brief spells on loan at Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town and Walsall. He signed with Walsall in July 2013, following his release from West Brom. Played on the losing side
Clarke signed his first professional contract for Brentford in 2013, two years after joining their youth set-up. Had a host of lower and non-league loans between 2012 and 2015, before making his breakthrough at Griffin Park last season, when he made 30 appearances for the club.
22 Henrik Dalsgaard Position: Defender Nationality: Danish D.O.B: 27.07.1989
Dalsgaard joined AaB in 2008 on a free transfer, making his professional debut for the club later that season. He went on to make 185 appearances for the Danish side before joining Belgian
FUN FACT When Brentford were formed in 1889, there was a vote held by members of the Brentford Rowing Club – who needed something to do during the winter months. They chose football over rugby union by eight votes to five.
Romaine Sawyers
Henrik Dalsgaard
COMMON DENOMINATORS
side Zulte Waregem in December 2015. Eighteen months later he joined Brentford on a three-year contract. Dalsgaard is a current Danish international and has five caps since his debut in 2016.
Mike Allen, Marcus Bent, Billy Brawn, Jack Clough, John Curtis, Adam Forshaw, Joe Frail, Chris Kamara, Emmanuel Ledesma, Paul Merson, Fred Pentland, Stan Webb.
25 Theo Archibald Position: Midfielder Nationality: Scottish D.O.B: 05.03.1998
Archibald is a product of the Celtic Academy, signing his first professional contract in 2015. After a loan spell at Albion Rovers in 2017, he signed for Brentford in May of the same year, making his debut against Ipswich Town in August. The midfielder has been capped for Scotland’s U21 side.
27 Justin Shaibu Position: Striker Nationality: Danish D.O.B: 28.10.1997
Shaibu began his career with Vallensbaek, before joining HB Koge aged 14. He made his first team debut aged 16 in August 2014. Left his homeland in 2016 Josh Clarke
to join Brentford in July, where he started off in their reserve side, before making his first-team debut in August 2016.
28 Luke Daniels Position: Goalkeeper Nationality: English D.O.B: 05.01.1988
Daniels spent seven years at Manchester United as a youngster, before joining West Brom’s Academy in 2004. He signed a professional contract in 2006, and made just one league appearance for the Baggies in the following nine years, which were populated with loan spells at Motherwell, Shrewsbury, Tranmere, Charlton, Rochdale, Bristol Rovers and Southend United. In 2015 he signed for Scunthorpe, making 101 league appearances for the Iron, before signing for Brentford in May 2017.
29 Yoann Barbet Position: Defender Nationality: French D.O.B: 10.05.1993
Barbet started his senior career with Bordeaux’s B side in 2011, signing for Chamois Niortais in 2014. After a season there, he moved to Brentford in June 2015.
33 Chris Mepham Position: Defender Nationality: Welsh D.O.B: 05.11.1997 Danny Lafferty
The Welsh U21 international joined the club in 2014 as an U16 player, and has recently signed a
Yoann Barbet
five-year deal, having been part of Brentford’s B-team set-up for the last year.
47 Sergi Canos Position: Striker Nationality: Spanish D.O.B: 02.02.1997
Canos spent time at Barcelona’s La Masia between 2010 and 2013, before joining Liverpool’s Academy in 2013. He signed a professional contract in 2015, and spent the 2015/16 season on loan at Brentford. He left Anfield to join Norwich City on a permanent deal in July 2016, but made just three league appearances before returning to Griffin Park permanently in January 2017.
LET’S GET SOCIAL brentfordfc brentfordfootballclub1889 brentfordfc 47
