Rolling with the punches has been the norm for Isaac Ogundere enroute to claiming his number 33 shirt – with setbacks aplenty moulding not just the player but the person.
The downfall of Brentford’s academy system saw our full-back left out in the cold. But that didn’t stop him – in fact it drove him on to make the next step.
Here Isaac details his route from park football with friends to proving the doubters wrong under the bright lights of Plough Lane as part of our first-team.
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Watch the full interview below.
BACK IN THE FOLD
It feels unreal to be back at Plough Lane and playing in front of our fans. I’m very happy to be back in the fold with the first-team.
THAT WINNING FEELING
The lads enjoyed that one! As everyone knows we’ve had a tough time of late. Getting that win the other day gave the fans something to cheer about.
BRENTFORD BLUES
It was a tough time mentally. You’re not ready to go through that at that age. In school you’re seen as the boy who plays for an academy. To get released took that all away but it’s got me to where I am today. It happened for a reason and it’s given me the fight that I’ve always had.
MR VERSATILE
When I was with Hayes & Yeading I played as a defensive midfielder. It improved my game technically and made me naturally more aggressive. However in my younger years here I was always a defender. I love defending.
PERSERVERANCE
I never wanted to give up but it was just a case of getting back to enjoying it. When I fell back in love with it I began to try a lot harder. From that point my game started to improve as well. I can’t imagine myself in any other industry.
FAILURE IS A BRUISE NOT A TATTOO
I went to Watford, Barnet and Leyton Orient. The main takeaway from those experiences was that I had to become more physical. They advised me to play more football at the age above. Being told I wasn’t good enough gave me more motivation to go and prove myself.
TICKING OVER
I joined my local side alongside a bunch of friends that I played with when I was younger. It was good to begin with but I wanted to push myself more and play at a higher level.
FIRST-TEAM FIVE
It’s great to see us all involved. We’ve all been looking to get to this point after spending time out on loan. It’s all benefitted us massively. We’ve been playing against men and dealing with that every single week.
TOP TIER INSPIRATION
I always look at Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold. But within our club you have senior players like Gunts and Pearcey who are always there for us as young players. We can always go to them for advice. Everyone is together.
THE TWELFTH MAN
They’ve been unbelievable for me. Coming from the Academy – you naturally settle in well because of the way the fans treat you. They make you feel like you’re having the best game of your life. I couldn’t ask for anything more from them.
PICS: Pro Sports Images