Long-serving Brentford defender Rico Henry has signed a new long-term contract. The 24-year-old left sided player committed his future to The Bees by putting pen to paper at the end of last week. He has signed a deal until the summer of 2026. There is a Club option for an additional year.

Rico has been with Brentford since the summer of 2016 and is one of the Club’s longest-serving players. He joined from Walsall and has just played his 150th game for The Bees in all competitions. He has scored four goals in his time in West London, two of them in the Premier League this season.

Thomas Frank, Brentford FC Head Coach, said: “I am very pleased that Rico has signed another contract with us. He has had a top time here. He has been here a long time and we are pleased that he wants to continue to grow with us.

“Rico has seamlessly made the step up to the Premier League. Defensively he is fantastic, and you can see the way he defends one on one against some great attackers. He is also contributing up the field with the way he can arrive in the penalty area, as we have seen this season. There are bits to work on, but it is great that he will continue that development with us.

“We are pleased that we have a player here that can develop in to a good Premier League player. He can also be part of our development as a club. We are constantly aiming to be better. We think we can get to a higher level and think we can take Rico to a higher level as well. It is very good to have him here.”

Birmingham-born Rico came through the ranks at Walsall, going on to make his professional debut in December 2014 when he was 17. In 18 months in the Walsall First Team, he was named Walsall’s Young Player of the Year, in May 2015, and won England youth recognition. He played for his country and Under-19 and Under-20 level, earning seven caps. He won an EFL Young Player of the Month award, was named in the League One PFA Team of the Year and received a nomination for the EFL Young Player of the Year award.

Rico’s early years with Brentford were affected by injury but he played every match as Brentford finished third in the Sky Bet Championship in 2019/20 and lost the Play-Off Final. He played a further 30 games last season as The Bees won promotion to the top flight. Rico’s first season in the Premier League has seen him play 26 games and score twice. He has made 151 Brentford appearances in total.