It’s a Monday evening and just south of Wigan the B Team are finishing up their meal at their hotel. They’re up north ahead of beginning their Premier League Cup campaign against Blackburn Rovers Under-21s the following day. Before the players depart for their rooms a ding of a glass suddenly has ears pricked up across the room.

There are smiles, whispers and eyes pointing at those whose time has come to carry out the dreaded initiation song, as is customary on an overnight stay to help new players settle into the group. Of course, it’s a bit of light-hearted fun at the end of an evening but Alex Gilbert, who has been with the B Team since September 2020, believes it’s something that is good for the group. The 20-year-old has taken on the role as a key leader within the young group and he has regularly captained the side this season.

“When you’re a young player and you’ve just come in, it’s not something that you want to do, but you know it’s a bit of an icebreaker and it helps to integrate,” said Alex as he sits down at the hotel before heading off to play Uno with his teammates, prior to heading to bed ahead of an important match the next day. “To go from one of the nervous young lads to a player who dings the glass to get the others to sing. It’s a role that I feel that I’m thriving in.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a skipper who screams at people because I like to think that I lead by example, and I like to be well respected by the team around me. Hopefully they look up to me on match days to help them out and perform.”

The B Team have added lots of young players to their group over the course of the summer. The likes of Isaac Holland and Tony Yogane joined at 16 from Sheffield Wednesday, whilst 18-year-old Angel Waruih linked up with the side from Plymouth among more additions to the group. That means Alex is one of those players alongside Tristan Crama and Ryan Trevitt who have been in and around the B Team set up for a few seasons and have achieved success under Neil MacFarlane and his staff. The youngster was also keen to play tribute to his late nan, who was a constant source of support to him.

“I’m 20 now, and at the time when I was 18 I thought I was ready and well-rounded,” said Alex. “It turns out you’re actually very raw and you’re not at the level that you think you are. The younger lads come in and they have a lot of talent but they’re still very raw and have got a lot to learn which is why we’re all here, to develop. Having the likes of Neil (MacFarlane) and Saunds (Sam Saunders) around me, they have helped me to become the man and player that I am today, and I know that they will do that for other players.

“After the recent passing of my nan, I think it’s important to highlight her impact on my life. She taught me so many life lessons that enable me to be the man that I am today, and I will try my hardest to honour her and do her proud.”

Alex has had an impressive start to the season for the young Bees having already grabbed five goals, but there’s no doubt the versatile player is targeting more success in the coming months.

He said: “Getting off to a good start is a key thing and I want to keep that ticking over. I’m my biggest critic. If I’ve scored one but missed two chances then I still won’t be happy. I remember seeing Thierry Henry when he scored three goals and his teammates asked him why he was so angry, and he replied that he had another chance so should have had four goals, and I think you have to have that mindset to get to the Premier League.”

Alex joined during strange times for the world. The country was just waking up from a lockdown following the outbreak of Covid-19 which meant the 2020/21 campaign would be a season like no other. During his first year with the Bees, Alex played 22 times for the B Team and scored 10 goals in his debut season. January 2021 saw him earn a First Team debut in the Emirates FA Cup against Middlesbrough before he made another appearance against Leicester City. Looking back on his earlier days with the Club, Alex says he always looked up to the players in Thomas Frank’s side and learned a lot.

He continued: “There were lads in the First Team that were a bit younger like Josh Dasilva and Tariqe (Fosu) too. When I first came in and before I had a real chance to train with them, I used to watch Ollie (Watkins) and Saïd (Benrahma.) To watch those players and learn from them is a big inspiration.

“I’m very different now, I’ve grown physically and mentally. I’ve had the opportunity to go on loan, I’ve had some time with the First Team, made my debut, and played lots of B Team games which have all made me become the rounded player that I’m starting to become.”

The 2021/22 campaign was a further year of development as Alex learned a great deal. He made the temporary move to Wiltshire to join Swindon Town in Sky Bet League Two and he spent the first half of the season getting to grips with regular men’s football fighting for points. He then returned in January to link up with the B Team and feature in some fabulous tests for the young Bees in the Atlantic Cup in Portugal as well as on home soil.

“I think there were loads of positives to take,” said Alex on last season. “I earned eight league appearances, three assists and two man of the match awards so when you look at it broadly then it’s a good achievement. It was my first taste of really being involved day in, day out, in men’s football. It was a good experience and it’s helped me to improve my game.

“It’s then a different style of football (coming back to Brentford.) The first part of the season I was playing in League Two with Swindon in a very good team that was, at the time, competing for promotion and then I came back and went and played against teams like Brøndby and Monaco. It was two complete opposites from the first half of the season to the second, and overall I think it was a really positive season to learn in many different ways.”

Alex in action for Swindon Town on loan in Sky Bet League Two

Being a young footballer is exciting, you have your whole career ahead of you but it’s also fair to say that it’s not plain sailing for many. As you learn, you have setbacks and disappointments along with successes. Alex admits that he keeps in contact with those players who have moved on to pastures new in recent seasons, as well as players he played with in his early days coming through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion.

He explained: “I keep in touch with a lot of the lads that I’ve met throughout my career so far. It’s good to speak to them because we’re all coming through the same journey together and are in the same boat. It can be difficult sometimes so to have those people to talk to and catch up with is good. You have to remember that you can never get comfortable (in thinking your place is assured), otherwise it’s going to be very difficult. Football is probably the only job in the world where everyone has an opinion on you. I wouldn’t go to a building site and tell someone that they’re doing a rubbish job but that’s not the case in football. It’s difficult, but you have to embrace it and understand that it’s part and parcel of the job.”

Alex came through the ranks at local club, West Brom, after joining at the age of just eight. A boyhood Aston Villa fan, the youngster developed at the Hawthorns to reach the age of 18 before he switched to Brentford.

Reflecting on his time with West Brom, Alex has many good memories and is thankful to those that helped him in his development. “I spent 10 years there. I don’t think you look at yourself and think that you’re talented because at that age you just love football, love training and being with your mates. You love kicking the ball and all I wanted to do was score goals. When I went to do my scholarship and entered full-time football, I started to think that I had a chance. I started to kick on even more, I began to grow into my body and thrive and then the belief kicked in that I could do it.

“There are so many games but there are a couple which stand out from my time at the Academy. We went to Fulham in the Under-15 Floodlit Cup and at half-time we were 4-0 down. I came on and scored a header to make it 4-1. We then pulled a couple more back to make it 4-3 and then I scored another header to make it 4-4. We actually ended up making it 5-4, but we conceded a last-minute equaliser to make it 5-5.

“I enjoyed my time there a lot. You always want to look back and thank the people that turned you into the player that you’ve become. All the lads were great and we had some brilliant opportunities there to go and play abroad so I thank them for that.”

So, having risen through the ranks at West Brom and now into his third year with the Bees, where does Alex see himself at the minute? Having had a taste of First Team football, he is targeting using every opportunity that he can to impress. He has featured in Brentford XI fixtures and has had a strong start to the 2022/23 campaign as he aims to lead the young Bees to a successful season.

Reflecting on his development and the task of breaking into that First Team group, Alex said: “It’s very difficult, the Club have made it to the Premier League which makes it harder. We understand that but it makes you want to thrive more and do even better to get around it. Getting round a first team in the Premier League is a very good achievement and I think I can do it. I think I have the ability; I’m starting to build my strength and I’m doing a lot of gym work to help make me more robust.

“The first season I was here I was around it a lot. I was in and around the bench and made my debut which gave me that taste. I’m itching to get it again, all you can do is take it game by game, training session by training session and anything can happen.”