Harry Forrester says he felt he needed to leave Brentford for the good of his career.
But the 22-year-old also insists he would have been happy to stay had he not been offered the chance to play in the Championship with Doncaster, who formally completed his signing on Tuesday.
Forrester, who was out of contract after rejecting a new deal at Griffin Park, told West London Sport: “It was a tough decision.
“Brentford offered me a new contract on the last day of the season and then I went away for the whole summer and thought about it.
“When I finally had a concrete offer from the clubs that were interested I weighed it up and decided on Doncaster because I want to test myself at the next level.
“If I didn’t have that opportunity I would have been happy to stay at Brentford. I really enjoyed my time there and I want to thank the club and the fans for their support over the two seasons.
“I like to think I did my all for them when I played and I hope I gave the fans something to shout about.
“But I have a career plan and this move fits with that, as it did when I turned down Ajax and joined Brentford.
“I want to play in the Championship and hopefully one day in the Premier League.”
He added: “I really wish Brentford the best for the new season and I’m sure they’ll be in the Championship in no time at all.”
Meanwhile, Brentford have completed the signing of Cardiff City defender Ben Nugent, 20, on loan until January.
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This post was last modified on 01/08/2013