Hogan apologises to Brentford fans after Villa move


Former Brentford striker Scott Hogan has apologised to the club’s fans for the long-running transfer saga which ended with his deadline-day departure to Aston Villa.

Hogan signed a four-and-a-half–year contract with Villa, after the two clubs agreed a fee of £9m, potentially rising to £12m with add-ons.

The 24-year-old was pursued by West Ham for much of January and he was left out of the starting line-up for four consecutive matches while his future remained unclear.

In a note written by Hogan, and posted on Bees skipper Harlee Dean’s Twitter account, the ex-Rochdale man thanked supporters “who stuck by me through thick and thin”.

He said: “I understand the last few weeks haven’t been ideal and I can only apologise for that, it was out of my hands.

“All I wanted to do is play football and score goals.”

In a nod to the support he got during his 18-month injury-lay off, he added: “I will miss everyone, especially the boys who looked after me through the long months.

“Brentford will always be a club close to me as they are the place that helped get my career back on track. For this, I will be forever grateful to you all.”