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Mepham Signs New Brentford Deal

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Yesterday evening Brentford announced that Chris Mepham had signed a new long term contract at the club.

The Welsh Under 21 international has come through the youth sides at Griffin Park and he now joins up with the first team having signed a five year deal.

He has been part of our B Team for the past 15 months and the 19 year old joined us in early 2014 as an Under 16 players, turning full time a few months later after earning a scholarship. His first professional contract came in the summer of 2016 and he signed an extension to that in early 2017.

He made his first team debut days later in the FA Cup win over Eastleigh.

Having stepped up to first team duties during pre season, he has been on the bench for three games so far this year but was unused and he’ll now be looking to kick on.

Speaking to the Official Site head coach Dean Smith said of the deal.

‘Chris has shown a real progression during the last 12 months and is developing into a player that we believe can get to a high standard. With a fierce determination and excellent attitude to go with his footballing ability, we are pleased that he has chosen to continue his development with Brentford. I fully expect him to be pushing the senior centre backs within the First Team.’

Phil Giles, Brentford FC Co-Director of Football, added.

‘It`s great to see another player progress from the B team squad, following Justin Shaibu last season. The B team is a long term project, but the ultimate objective is for those players to establish themselves in the first team squad and then eventually start regularly for the first XI. We are sure that Chris has the potential to achieve that goal.’

As for Mepham himself, he admitted there wasn’t a single ‘doubt’ that he’d sign the deal when it was offered.

‘I was a bit shocked at the time. I was in the airport when Robert Rowan rang me with the news. It was a pleasant surprise. I was in no doubt that I was going to sign it and I am really pleased to sign it. Training every day with the First-Team is the most important thing. I was surprised with the length of the contract but it shows the hard work that I have put in over the last two seasons has all paid off. Now I have time to properly focus and hopefully get as many games under my belt as possible.’

As well as his new deal, he makes the step up to the first team on a full time basis now.

‘It is a massive thing to go out on the pitch knowing you have the confidence of the club. It is important to know that you have that time to progress but it is also important not to take your foot off the pedal. I`ve trained with the First-Team before so it isn`t all new to me but it is a new environment being in the First-Team dressing room. You need that little bit of maturity to go up on a day to day basis. There`s a little bit more pressure now but because I`ve trained with them for a while I don`t think too much changes.’

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