With his side sitting sixth in the Championship, the past 12 months have been something of a whirlwind for Jake Bidwell.
And as his side find themselves in contention for a Premier League spot, the Brentford defender is hoping to add an FA Cup run to a spectacular run of league form.
The Bees achieved promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in two decades at the end of the 2013-14 season.
They now find themselves in the play-off positions at the top of the Championship midway through the campaign.
Brentford v Brighton
The FA Cup
Third Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 3 January 2015
Griffin Park
Winners receive £67,500
And the former England youth defender says he is delighted to be at a club on the up – and that he hopes to continue the form into 2015, starting with a victory in The FA Cup.
“It’s all been positive,” he said. “I don’t think anyone looking from the outside in to the club would expect us to be where we are halfway through the season.
“To find ourselves in the play-off positions, there wouldn’t have been many that would have predicted that.
“Now it’s important we kick on and carry that on into the second half of the season and give everything we can to stay up there – and hopefully cause a few more surprises from here to the end of the season.”
The West London club take on Brighton & Hove Albion, under new boss Chris Hughton, in The FA Cup Third Round Proper at Griffin Park on Saturday.
And while two years ago Brentford were mid-table in League Two, the Seagulls were battling for promotion for the Premier League – twice making it to the play-offs.
The 21-year-old began his career as an academy player at Everton
But as the two sides prepare to meet for a place in the Fourth Round, league form dictates it is the home side that will go into the tie as favourites – not a tag that will go to the player’s heads, Bidwell insists.
“It is strange [to be going in as favourites],” he added.
“Obviously we’re going well in the league, so to top off what’s been a fantastic year it would be great to have a Cup run as well. I know the manager is thinking that way as well.
“I’m sure he’ll pick a team that he feels that will stand the best possible chance of winning the game and getting us through to the next round.
“We probably will be going into this one as favourites, but it would only be slight favourites.
“It’s important we keep our foot on the gas and don’t take anything for granted. Things could change pretty quickly and we could find ourselves slipping down the table if we don’t keep the momentum going – starting with this Cup game."
The former Everton trainee first joined the Bees on loan from the Toffees in 2011, before re-signing on another loan deal in August 2012.
Jake Bidwell also represented England at U16, U17, U18 and U19 levels
After repeated extensions he remained at the club for the entire 2012-13 season, before making the switch permanent in June 2013 – a decision he said he did not have to think twice about.
“It was quite an easy decision to be honest,” he added.
“I knew that if I went back to Everton I would just be sat around waiting for a chance that might never come. Brentford offered me the chance to play games regularly.
“On top of that I could see from my time here on loan that it was a club going in the right direction – I could see that from the first day I walked in.
“The changes in the past couple of years have been unbelievable”
Jake Bidwell Brentford
“The changes in the past couple of years have been unbelievable. The owner has an ambition to take the club to the Premier League, and at the moment he looks like he’s on course to do that.
“It’s a great club. It’s a family club and the work the they do in the community there for all to see.
“They’re always asking the players to come down and help out at various events, and we’re happy to do so.
"I think the club, and the players, are a bit more accessible that a lot of the larger clubs – and that’s something they’re really big on.”
Brentford take on Brighton at Griffin Park on Saturday 3 January at 3pm.
