Riley Owen: Brentford debut the 'dream' this season | OneFootball

Riley Owen has had a busy pre-season, having been heavily involved in Brentford B's preparations for the new campaign - which has seen him wear the captain's armband for the young Bees - as well as getting the opportunity to go with the first team to their camp in Portugal.

The youngster has said he is happy to be at the Bees and reflects on the experiences he has had so far in this environment.

He said: “Since coming to the club from Tottenham, it has been great. Year in and year out, I am just feeling better, and I can honestly see the growth that I have made.

"The opportunities here and there to train with the first team and also going on tour with them earlier this summer have all been an amazing experience for me.

"I want to continue to develop this season and do what I can to be effective on the pitch. The dream is to make my debut and all I can do is do everything to be ready if that opportunity presents itself.

"I am excited for what the future holds for me.”

Since joining Brentford, one of the things that Owen has been impressed with is the culture and the people; he said the coaches and how they handle the group have been a big part of his success on the pitch.

“When I came here, I was surprised - in a good way - with how things operate at Brentford," he commented. "The way people interact with each other and the way the coaches pay attention to our needs is so valuable. I cannot thank them enough.

“The coaches are amazing as they have a great mindset towards teaching and helping young players grow. They also do a great job at integrating all of us and building a culture.

“We have all bought into a way of playing which requires us to work hard for each other, but we are able to do this because of how we interact off the pitch. The coaching staff have helped that.”

Owen has been in the academy football from a very young age and, after having spells at Arsenal and Tottenham, he says that, since being at Brentford, he has not only developed his on-pitch abilities but has also matured due to the environment that he is in.

“I always say this to everyone: it is a professional environment here," Owen added. "It helps you build your character and your mentality.

"Everyone is going to have a different journey in football, in terms of how they get to where they want to be. Brentford help to cultivate our off-pitch characters and how we should be as professionals.”

The 2024/25 season will be a different one for Owen and his teammates as the B Team will be in the Professional Development League, the Premier League Cup, and will also continue the B team heritage of taking on quality opponents on tours.

This is a challenge that he is excited about: "There will be a lot of games this season, but I see it as multiple opportunities to impress and get better as a player.

“I’d like to add more goals to my game - playing as the deepest midfielder, it won’t happen every game but I still want to be able to contribute.

"It’s always nice to score at the end of the day, especially with the number of minutes that I get. That is a part of my game that can improve - the team is the focus and, if I can help the team by scoring more, I want to be able to do that.”

Owen and the B team will be in action next on Tuesday 20 August as they take on Sheffield United away from home in the PDL season opener.