Brentford B’s Tony Yogane says he’s improving all the time and feels he’s thriving within the setup after joining from Sheffield Wednesday last summer.

The 17-year-old linked up with the young Bees from the Owls alongside Isaac Holland and has made 26 appearances so far this season for Neil MacFarlane’s team. As one of the youngest players within the group, Tony has had to adapt to playing with some older players and he feels he’s benefited a great deal from the coaching at the Robert Rowan Performance Centre.

He explained: “I’ve found it fun, good; I’m always learning. I’m working with Steven (Pressley) closely to learn different techniques instead of just shooting at the ball erratically. I’m learning how to guide it into the corner. It’s been good, the boys have been great, as well as the coaches. I’ve enjoyed it very much.

“I remember my first session my shooting was so bad! Off target, out of 20 shots there would maybe be seven on target with no goals, but you can see a big difference from the start of the season to now where I’ve done the techniques over and over again. I’ve still not mastered it; I’m still learning and practicing.

“I’m a young player and I’m adapting to play with older players but I feel like I’ve got used to it. I’ve had to learn quick, get fit quick, and it can help me in my game as a winger. When you play for Brentford, you’ve got to run a lot and work hard for the team.”

Tony talks at length about his development

With the chance to play alongside players who have been in and around the B team for a couple of years now and have had some good experiences themselves, Tony says he’s learning from his teammates who are helping him with his game. Under captain Alex Gilbert, Tony says there’s a lot to admire about his game.

He continued: “We have good technical players in attack, midfield and defence. It helps a lot knowing that you can go into the game knowing you can trust the players. You’ve got Gilbz (Alex Gilbert), Trev (Ryan Trevitt) and Tristan (Crama.) It brings me confidence knowing that they are players who can keep the ball and they can always find me and help me with my game.

“I was surprised (in pre-season.) Gilbz’s finishing is a joke, and we have some really good players like Trev and Tristan. Tristan, for his size, is very quick so it was different (coming in), and I didn’t expect it. I came in and thought ‘I’ve got this. Easy. I’ll be one of the best players’ and then you see them and think ‘oh my days’ I’ve got to keep up with them!”

In those 26 appearances, 13 have come from the start and 13 from the bench as the youngster has got to grips with B team football after playing for the Under-18s with Sheffield Wednesday last season.

“I feel that I’ve worked hard to push into the team,” said the young winger. “I feel like I’m in a good place right now and doing well in training and I want to learn. Sometimes you can be left out of the squad but you’ve got to deal with those situations and go again. There isn’t time to sulk about it because you never know what can happen tomorrow. You have to take it on the chin. First time it happened to me I felt shocked and was thinking about why it happened. I was a bit moody and a bit down, but I was told that my next chance would come and I have to take it. It's important not to dwell on the past, it’s done and there isn’t anything you can do about it. You have to focus on the future and I’m the only person that can make it happen.”

Having joined alongside Holland in the summer, the two Sheffield boys have leant on each other in recent months to settle into the club and the area. As well as support each other on the pitch, they also like to analyse their games and learn together.

He continued: “We had to stay very close. After every game we always talk about each other’s performances and I think it helps, to get a player’s point of view. To find out what he thinks that I could have done or what I think Isaac could have done. It’s a way of developing our football so it’s good for both of us."

So, what tests this season has Tony enjoyed learning from? There’s one game in particular which sticks in the memory which proved a tough experience for him which he needed to go through in a game.

He explained: “We’ve had a lot of trips in one season which is something I’ve never experienced. I think it’s good, it’s different. We’re playing different types of teams which helps build character. I think the Erith game was tough. I started against them, a non-league side, and they were just sitting back which was frustrating. They hit us on the counter-attack and scored. They were physical, tough and straight into you.

“You have to deal with it, you have to find a solution quick to deal with all of these things that come at you. I tried to stay on the last line and in my head I’m thinking that nothing is going to happen for me because they’re sat back. You learn different things about how you can drop in and get the ball to try and make something happen.”

Tony says the match with Erith was a learning curve

The Atlantic Cup campaign in February saw Tony turn out against some of the toughest teams so far in his fledgling career. The likes of Ulsan Hyundai, AIK Fotboll and Halmstads BK all provided brilliant challenges for the young players out in the Algarve which Tony was pleased to take on.

“The Atlantic Cup, against the first team (Ulsan Hyundai) they just kept passing and passing and my quads were done,” smiled Tony. “You’re running and running but we kept our shape well. They were a first team so it’s understandable. You take more from that.”

The young Bees now turn their attentions to the Premier League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal Under-21s on Monday evening. The youngster says every player has enjoyed the campaign so far and they can go into the tough test confident against the Gunners.

He explained: “The Premier League Cup has been fun. We look forward to it and we want to go out there and run every team over and try to get to the final. Everyone is looking forward to it because it’s exciting, a cup feeling and we’re ready for it. It’s going to be a good game against a tough team, but every game is tough and you never know what to expect. We’re going to be ready and prepare for that.”

You can catch the B team in action on Monday 13 March in a 7pm kick-off at the VBS Community Stadium as the side face Arsenal Under-21s in the quarter-final of the Premier League Cup. Entrance is pay on the gate at the home of Sutton United!