Josh Dasilva’s Brentford career has consisted of him putting the ball on a plate for strikers and helping to impact games that are on a knife-edge.

But, when he’s not cooking something up on the pitch, Josh takes inspiration from an unlikely source.

When I ask him what he likes to do in his spare time, Josh reveals: “If it’s not football, it’s an animal programme or a cooking show.”

When I question if he is a good cook himself, he quickly replies: “No! I just like the process of it and, as a footballer, I appreciate others who have to deal with being in high-pressure situations.

“It's not easy. If it was easy, everyone would do it. When I’m watching MasterChef or Hell’s Kitchen, they’re under pressure so they have to perform. When it goes right, it’s a good feeling. I watch it and appreciate those things.”

If he’s not watching TV chefs, most of Josh’s free time is spent watching football, which hasn’t changed since he was a young boy growing up in Ilford.

And it’s clear to see where his box-to-box style comes from when he talks about the players he would watch in his youth, as well as some he is still a fan of now.

“I was a striker, so I would say I looked at Ronaldo [former Brazil international], [Didier] Drogba, Zlatan [Ibrahimović]. I always loved [Zinedine] Zidane as well.

"Once I went into midfield, which was kind of late, I was about 16, that's when I started looking at Yaya Touré and [Paul] Pogba because of their stature and how big they are.

"Now I will watch people like Kevin De Bruyne - he’s a joke."

Whilst asserting his own distinctive approach, the Belgian is someone Josh can’t help but admire.

"KDB is one I look at because he’s got everything,” says Josh.

“I take a bit from anyone that's doing well from the top teams. I just love watching football, so when I see different styles, I look at that.

“Whoever is playing, I look at the midfielders and see what they’re doing.

"I like playing as a No.8, box to box. Having that license and freedom to go wherever and pick up the ball. I just love getting the ball, I'm comfortable on the ball, that’s a strength of mine.

“I like having that freedom to go and affect the game, wherever that may be, and having the license to sometimes go wide, sometimes come in, sometimes go deep to get the ball.”

Josh spent 12 years at Arsenal and his experiences in North London undoubtedly helped shape the player he is today.

He began his career with the Gunners, joining the club's Hale End academy at the age of eight, before progressing through the ranks and making three appearances for the First Team.

But, when asked where he feels his game was moulded, he states: “I would say at Brentford. But obviously being comfortable on the ball and things like that came from Arsenal.

“We were one of the better academies so we weren’t playing against teams that had a lot of the ball. Arsenal are known for being able to play good football, so that came from there.

“But, coming here and as you get older, you know what you’re good at, you have a better understanding when you're playing men's football, playing week in and week out, at what you’re good at.

“I think my game was moulded here when I started playing regularly in the Championship. Working with the gaffer [Thomas Frank], Kev [O’Connor] and Brian [Riemer] as well. But the foundations came from Arsenal.”

Learning from legendary Gunners boss Arsène Wenger, who Josh worked with during his time at the club, will have undoubtedly helped with his development.

The Frenchman, who is widely considered as one of the best coaches of all time, won three Premier League titles - including the famous Invincible season in 2003/04 - as well as seven FA Cups.

Josh recalls some of Wenger’s nuggets of wisdom and says that they are something he still tries to put into practise now.

"Towards the end of my time there I was with the First Team a few times a week, so I worked with him fairly closely,” he says.

“It was good, his resume speaks for itself so having that experience will only improve you.

“I had a few one-on-one chats with him. He taught me about being intelligent on the ball, not to rush into things, and just to stay relaxed.

“Also to believe in myself and believe in the decision that you're making on the ball."

He also worked with another Arsenal legend during his time in North London, having been coached by Thierry Henry, who was at the club as a youth coach.

And, ironically, Josh says the former striker - who scored 226 in 370 games for Arsenal and won three Premier League Golden Boots - was responsible for his change of position, which saw him go from centre-forward to the dynamic midfielder we know and love today.

“When I made the transition from being a striker to a midfielder, they [Henry and fellow coach Kwame Ampadu] just sat me down and taught me the fundamentals,” he explains.

“I was quite raw. When I first went into midfield, I was just enjoying myself and not really understanding the role. I was just playing free, getting the ball and enjoying myself. But they sat me down and helped me.”

Josh adds: "When it’s Thierry Henry giving you tips on how to play football, who am I to say no?!

“But I got over the fact it was him quite quickly, and that’s credit to him as well because he was the calmest guy.

“He was always on banter, always running jokes, but as soon as we crossed the white line it was serious and time to train properly. He made it easier for everyone.”

Despite performing well, loving his time at the club, and being offered a contract by Arsenal, Josh made the decision in 2018 to move on, which saw him sign for Brentford on a four-year deal.

“I didn't feel that I could see a pathway into the First Team. But it was an incredibly hard decision. You’re offered a contract at a club that you want to be at after being there for ten years. It was hard to say no,” he explains.

“I sat down with my brothers and my agents, and we just thought about what would be the best thing for my career.

“And once I had a meeting with Dean Smith and Rob Rowan, God bless his soul, I just knew Brentford was the place for me to come.

“As soon as I came out of the meeting, I just said to my agent, ‘Get the deal done. I don't care what it takes.’

"Everything just felt right about coming here. They spoke about the playing style and how they develop players. They showed me what I was good at, what I was not so good at, and how they were going to help me improve.

“It was everything I wanted to hear.”

The 2018/19 campaign was his first in West London and he struggled for gametime under former boss Dean Smith and then Thomas Frank, who took over in October.

He made just 17 appearances (five starts) as the Bees finished 11th in the Championship, with more experienced midfielders handed starts ahead of Josh when the team was struggling for form.

But the season after is when the then-21-year-old announced himself, not just to the Brentford supporters, but to the whole of the EFL, when he scored ten goals and provided four assists, helping us to a third-place finish.

And it was a chat with Thomas after an inconsistent start to that campaign that gave Josh the impetus to have what he describes as the best season of his career.

“I started the first few games and then I was dropped,” he says.

“I went to speak to the manager, and he just said: ‘Josh, I don’t care if you can put it in the top bins five times in a row. I know you can do that. I want to see the intensity and you working hard, and then you won’t have a problem.’

"It wasn't even that I didn’t want to do that, it was just a lack of understanding. I hadn’t played in midfield for long and it was a different environment at Arsenal.

“So, once I understood what I had to do, within two weeks I was in the team, starting against Bristol City - I didn’t play well that game but I scored - and that's just when it clicked.

"Everything on the ball came naturally but, over the next handful of games, in my head, I was constantly thinking, ‘I need to sprint back in, I need to get across quick, I need to do this, do that, do this, do that’, so it was ingrained in me.

“Once it was, then it just became second nature.”

Since then, Josh has gone on to be a part of history-making Brentford squads, playing his part as we reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals and won promotion to the Premier League for the first time.

When asked about his favourite moment during his four years (and counting) at the Club, Josh struggles to pick just one.

However, the successful Play-Off campaign is a period that clearly sticks out for the 24-year-old.

He says: “I think the easiest one to say is promotion to the Premier League. But I’m still a little bit gutted we didn’t get automatics, to be honest!

“I feel like we were the best team in the Championship. The table doesn’t lie but, when we played the top teams, we dominated them.

“Towards the end of the season, we drew six from seven and we sort of let automatics slip - that bugged me.”

When it came to the final itself, Josh was confident we would get the win at Wembley - a year after losing to Fulham in extra-time and missing out on promotion.

And he believes it was the experience of that defeat 12 months prior that helped us across the line to a 2-0 win against Swansea.

“I knew, on our day, we were the best team and we deserved to get promoted,” he adds.

“Going into the Play-Offs, I had full confidence that we would get promoted because I knew we were the best team.

“We drew both games with them that season but, especially the away game, we battered them, absolutely battered them.

“I just knew that we had that experience. I think we kept eight players from the last Play-Off final starting XI, so we knew what it took.”

As well as promotion, Josh has had lots of individual success, including some incredible goals and a fantastic hattrick against Luton Town in the 2019/20 season.

One moment that is remembered by some Brentford supporters, perhaps even more than some of his iconic goals, ultimately, meant nothing.

Then again, anything that happens in a win at Loftus Road means something.

And that something was Josh manoeuvring his way between QPR players with one of the most outrageous pieces of skill you’ll ever see in October 2019.

As he was chased down by two opposition players, he flicked the ball between them, before playing a delightful pass into Bryan Mbeumo, whose shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

“I’m going to be honest, I meant the turn, but I didn't mean for it to flick up,” Josh admits. “It still would have looked good without the flick, but that did make it look better!

“My intention was to get between those two players, to run between them, so I think it would have worked anyway. But the flick just added a bit of ‘wow’ to it.”

I ask Josh if he was annoyed that Bryan didn’t conclude the move with a goal.

“I was fuming,” he laughs. “When I look back, it was an okay finish but the ‘keeper just read that he was going that way.

“At the end of the day, we won, QPR away, under the floodlights. I didn’t care in the end!”

Another, more recent moment, that Josh highlights is his goal against Leicester City on the opening day of the season, which rescued a point after we went 2-0 down.

It was also his first Premier League goal - which was added to when he netted in the incredible 4-0 win over Manchester United a week later - something he, like every other young footballer, used to fantasise about.

"It’s something you dream of as a youngster, playing and scoring in the Premier League. Obviously, I’d been out for so long, the emotions of scoring – it was a very enjoyable and proud moment,” he says.

As Josh mentions, he spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines last season, which made that goal at the King Power all the more special.

He was out for 11 months with a hip injury and, despite initially playing through it, was told that he may have to retire if things got any worse.

“My understanding of it now is that my hip bone was swollen,” Josh explains.

“I took a shot in training and, because it was swollen, the bones banged together and I felt something.

“It wouldn’t say it was excruciating but it wasn't comfortable - I didn't like it.

“We had a game a few days after and it sort of settled down a bit. Bear in mind I was probably playing the best football I’ve played consistently for a while.

“For a while, I was taking painkillers - that was when I scored two against Reading. The physios were saying, ‘Josh, be careful’, but I was playing well.

“We went to see a few specialists and they just said: ‘If you don't stop then you could shatter your hip and your career’s done.’

“I thought that I might be able to play in the Play-Offs but we saw another specialist and he told me to forget about playing football until 2022.

“My reaction was just, ‘Cool, let's get cracking’. I was down but I knew I'd be back. It’s football, it happens. Obviously, I wasn’t buzzing, I was playing good football and the team was doing well.

“But I was still happy and I put things into perspective - I’m living my dream. Okay, maybe I’ll be out for a bit but my family's well, everyone’s happy, and the boys ended up getting promoted. I can eat, I can drink - there are children in Africa that don't know where their next meal is coming from.

“I just knew what I had to do to get back as soon as possible.

“Some things are out of your control; you just have to control the controllables. This was out of my control - what I could control was making sure I came back in good shape.”

For some players, missing out on promotion and the start of a Premier League campaign would have been gutting, but Josh rubbishes that idea.

I ask him whether he was envious of the players on the pitch.

“No, I was buzzing,” he insists. “The only period that was hard for me was when I got injured and then we drew six from six because I felt I could make a difference.

“But then we got promoted and I was buzzing. When the team do well, it's the best thing.”

While Josh is delighted to be back playing, it does mean there’s less time for him to watch re-runs of Ready, Steady, Cook during the week.

This interview first appeared in our match programme. Printed locally using sustainable materials, each 100-page issue is available online and around Gtech Community Stadium for £4.

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