Ghoddos making up for slow start at Brentford

Brentford winger Saman Ghoddos says he’s found it hard to settle at the club but believes he’s now showing just why the Bees opted to turn his loan deal into a permanent transfer.

The Iran international has struggled to break into Thomas Frank’s side since joining in September, but scored the winning goals in Brentford’s past two matches, against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round and against Luton in the league on Tuesday, and will line up against Leicester on Sunday in the fourth round.

The 27-year-old joined the Bees in September from French side Amiens for a fee of £2m, initially on loan, but has been used mostly off the bench, admitting he found it hard to get to grips with the rigours of Championship football.

“Being in a new country with a new team I am still adapting,” said Ghoddos.

“It has been going on longer than I expected (not being in the team) for reasons that I can only take the blame for.

“At the beginning I wasn’t fit, wasn’t adapting enough and that is why I wasn’t playing.

“When I was playing I didn’t do enough to keep my position.

“I had a good talk with the coach and he told me what I needed to do better and I am listening.”

In addition to adjusting to life in a new country, to do so during the middle of a global pandemic has made it a harder for him to get to grips with his new surroundings.

“When you are new to a team you go out with the team for something to eat, get to know them but of course you can’t do that now,” he said.

“But in training the players are so friendly it is easy to get to know them.

“It was a relief for me to get the permanent contract done, because when you are on loan you are never quite sure what will happen.”

Leicester brushed aside Chelsea on Tuesday to briefly move to the top of the Premier League and although Ghoddos said they are a side with no weaknesses, he cannot wait to face them now he’s won a battle with his weight and fitness.

“What I am used to in my career is one game a week,” he said.

“When I came, I of course knew it wasn’t going to be like that, but as soon as I joined it was really intense, two or three games a week.

“I didn’t know how to act in training or at lunchtime, dinner time, so I was eating more than I should because that’s what I was used to doing.

“I have always had hard training three or four days a week and then prepare for a game was on the weekend.

“But here it is lighter training session to keep fresh for so many games so I was gaining weight without really knowing it.

“Now I need to train harder, the challenge of fighting my weight and train hard to keep fresh for games.

“Hotel life was hard, the food is not what you would eat at home. Then when I found a house it was all council tax and the rules with things you need to figure out so it has been a challenge.”