With his second season as a Brentford player underway, Emeka Peters says he feels “more responsibility” to step up for his side as the youngster eyes further success and development in the new season.

The 17-year-old scored a stunning winner for the Under-18s in their Professional Development League opener last weekend, with his goal earning Lydia Bedford’s team a 2-1 win against Coventry City.

Peters joined the club in the summer of 2023, with 11 other new scholars who started full-time training at Robert Rowan Performance Centre as well as receiving a range of educational opportunities.

After the disappointment of not being offered a scholarship from west London rivals Fulham, Peters reveals how proud he was to sign for Brentford and discusses his opening few months at the club.

He said: “It was a big moment for me and a fresh start which I was grateful for, I was with Fulham from 14 so to not be offered a scholar was obviously tough to take, but Brentford showed belief in me.

“You could tell it was a project which was going to take time to develop with a fresh batch of players and staff coming in, but I could tell right away we had a good group with some top players.

“It wasn’t easy to start off with; everyone was getting to know each other and there was a lot of new personalities to get used to within the group.”

Competing their league fixtures in the South East Youth Alliance League, the U18s had a challenging start to the 2023/24 campaign.

The side had to wait until 30 September to record their first win of the season with Peters providing two assists in a 3-0 win over MK Dons.

“I like to think of myself as a winner so when we weren’t getting the results we wanted it was frustrating,” said Peters.

“Individually as well I felt I could do better, the MK Dons game was a step in the right direction I was pleased with my performance but more so the win.

“I always believed things would get better, all the lads worked really hard in training and the coaches were great with us, so it was only a matter of time before things started to fall into place.”

Following the conclusion of the South East Youth Alliance League season, Bedford’s side entered the EFL Youth Alliance Merit League 2 to end the 2023/24 season.

The Bees made Wheatsheaf Park a fortress, winning all four of their home games as the side went on to finish Merit League 2 as champions, following an impressive run of seven wins from eight games.

Talking on a positive end to his opening season, Peters said: “It was a great feeling to end the season on a high, it was nice to be rewarded for our hard work and was a demonstration that tough times never last if you keep doing the right things.

“On an individual level I was really pleased with my performances from February onwards, there was a period where I scored four goals in four games.

“I think playing our home matches at Wheatsheaf Park was a turning point for us, we all love playing in that stadium and it’s become a real home for us.”

Bedford and her team had a well-earned break over the summer period before returning to training for pre-season on 1 July.

Peters said he used the first half of the summer to relax ahead of the new campaign but attended one-to-one sessions to build his fitness upon the team’s return.

He continued: “I made sure I enjoyed myself with friends and family, I think it’s important to do that as the football seasons definitely take a lot out of you.

“By the time pre-season was approaching I was working on my fitness, attending one-to-one sessions and doing work in the gym so I was ready to go by the time I was back at the training ground.”

As part of the team’s pre-season schedule, the U18s travelled to Germany where they were challenged with two games across a five-day period against the under-17s teams of Bundesliga clubs Heidenheim and Bayern Munich.

Peters was in inspiring form for the young Bees with the teenager scoring inside the first 10 minutes in the opening game against Heidenheim.

The winger was a constant threat on the left flank for Brentford with an entertaining contest between the two sides ending in a 3-3 draw.

The forward was on the scoresheet again as Bedford’s side rounded of their pre-season tour to Germany with a narrow 4-3 defeat following a last-minute winner from Bayern Munich U17s.

“It was a great trip overall, on an individual level I was feeling confident because I knew I put a lot of hard work in ahead of the build-up to the tour, so I was pleased with how I performed,” said Peters.

“As a team we were great, the new first-years coming in to the squad did a good job and everything just seemed to click.”

After scoring the winner for the U18s in their season opener against Coventry City, Peters carried his excellent pre-season form into the new campaign.

The youngster said his belief is at an all-time high as he aims to lead by example in his second season at the club.

He concluded: “Being one of the second-year players I definitely feel more responsibility to be a leader, I want my performances on the pitch to do the talking and the goal against Coventry was an example of that.

“The aim is to be offered a professional contract but short term I just want to continue impressing with my performances which could lead to B-team opportunities.”