Ryan Trevitt had been playing youth football for Leatherhead when he was invited for an extended trial with Brentford’s B team at the tail-end of 2020.

The then-17-year-old impressed Neil MacFarlane suitably to be offered an 18-month contract, with the 12-month option exercised in the summer of 2022, after he had been part of the squad that lifted the London Senior Cup for the first time since 1897/98.

His rapid rise continued in 2022/23 as he made his professional debut in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Colchester United on 23 August 2022. “The little taste I’ve had just makes me hungry for more,” he said in an interview a few weeks later.

He made a cameo appearance in the FA Cup third round defeat to West Ham in January 2023, too, while also being named on the bench for seven more first-team games throughout the remainder of the season.

Simultaneously, Trevitt was also proving himself to be one of the B team’s shining lights. In 28 appearances, he scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists, and played a key role in the Premier League Cup campaign, a trophy the young Bees lifted after a 2-1 win over Blackburn at the Gtech in May 2023.

As a result of his stellar season, the Brentford B Player of the Year was rewarded with a new three-year contract, promotion to the first team, and a loan move to Exeter City in League One.

He settled brilliantly at St James Park during the first half of last season, with five goals and an assist in 23 appearances, which led Grecians boss Gary Caldwell to say he believes the midfielder is “Premier League quality”.

A serious ankle injury suffered during a loss at Cambridge United three days before Christmas brought his season to a premature conclusion, though he was able to be named on Brentford’s bench on two further occasions.