Richard Lee reckons Brentford's goalkeeping future will be in good hands when he hangs up his gloves at the end of the season.
The 32 year old stopper last week announced his imminent retirement following three injury-plagued seasons with the Bees.
Having joined from Watford in the summer of 2010, Lee made 75 appearances during his first two years but has managed only 12 in the three seasons since.
But he believes the form of both David Button and Jack Bonham means Bees boss Mark Warburton won't have to rush out for a new keeper.
He said: They have both been excellent. Like me, Dave had a rocky start but has recovered to become a solid keeper, and I'm so pleased to see how far he has come.
“Jack is another who took some unfair and undue criticisms, but he has showed great character. It is not just my injuries which have seen Jack on the bench, he has earned his place there.”
He might have spent more time in the treatment room than on the pitch in recent years, but there was a time when Lee was undisputed number one at Griffin Park, and he looks back on his early days at the club as his best ever.
He said: “It's been amazing at Brentford, I've had a great time. I look back on that first year fondly, and it was definitely the best of my career.
“Winning player of the year was my personal highlight, but there are so many games that stand out too, like knocking Hull and Everton out of the Carling Cup, and putting Charlton out of the JPT on penalties, when I saved three in the shoot out.
“Then there was beating Southampton away, and the MK Dons home game when we were 3-0 down at half time and pulled it back to 3-3.”
You won't find Lee hanging around the training ground when he finally packs it in either. Not only does he have a number of business interests, but he has already dipped his toe in the world of media work too.
He added: “I would love to do more media stuff, and I've got a few businesses like my goalkeeping schools which I'd love to build up.
“I'm still enjoying the day to day stuff in training, but don't want to be one of those keepers scrapping it in the lower divisions at the end of my career.
“I'm just being honest with myself. I remember how good I was, so it's frustrating for myself to see me fall below those standards.
“I should be physically at peak in my early 30s, but I'd picked up a few knocks by the time I came here, then dislocated my shoulder, which caused a few problems.”
