Dan Bentley likes to feel he has saved a load a shots ahead of a Brentford matchday to ensure he goes into a game in the best physical and mental condition.

The Bees stopper is a student of the game and likes to make sure all of his mechanics are in working order as he prepares for a game.

And that extends to what he does off the training ground with Bentley leaving no stone unturned to make sure he can be the best player he can be.

Bentley said: “I like to go into a game feeling mentally like I've seen a ball during the week.

“I like to feel I've saved a load of shots, tidied up on everything and feeling physically ready to go in but that's also a mental thing as I need to feel I'm physically ready.

Daniel Bentley

“I don't do anything specific or weird or out there. I'm very repetitive with what I do every single week.

“I like to get my hands on the ball, I like to save shots. I like to have a little kick and get my range of motions going through in my kicking. But there's nothing out of the ordinary I do.

“I'm very big on preparation. I do ice baths, I do massages, stretching and do anything I can to make sure I'm feeling the best I can possibly feel.

“I don't drink alcohol during the week. I don't drink alcohol if we have a Tuesday game.

“I make sure I eat right, drink right and sleep right and do everything I can to make myself feel as best as possible for the game approaching.”

A professional footballer is very much a sink or swim profession and the game is littered with players who fell into the traps that lie in wait for a young player.

Dan Bentley celebrates Brentford's equaliser

The 23-year-old credits his family and also his upbringing at Southend where he was on the bench as a 16-year-old that has enabled him to get to where he is today.

He added: “Partly it's my upbringing. I've always been humble. I've come from a proud family who have supported me unconditionally from day one but have also kept me grounded.

“They come to watch pretty much every game now. I'd say a lot of it is my upbringing. I was also exposed to first team football being on the bench 20 times as a 16 year old and that was a really good grounding for me.

“I learnt a lot very quickly in that season. That was great. The way I am with myself, probably relates to my upbringing.

“I'm very respectful and privileged to be in a position I'm in. People say to me that I'm lucky to be where I am. Privileged yes, lucky no as I've worked hard to be where I am. I am privileged.

“Footballers are extremely privileged individuals. I think a lot of it is maturity from a young age and realising at 16 that you might come on five minutes into a League One game at Charlton and the goalkeeper goes down and I've left my shirt in the changing room.

Winner: Dan Bentley saves Sam Wood of Wycombe Wanderers penalty at Wembley

“I didn't want to go on. The goalkeeping coach was saying get out and warm up. He was okay and I didn't have to come on.

“I'd have made a show of myself there as I was terrified. It was a good way for me to prepare myself for when the moment did arrive.

“When it did, I had to take it. I think, as a short career, you have to live your life right. There's no point wasting time, money, experiences just for a night out for example.

“I try and be the consummate professional and sometimes I'm too much of it. Sometimes I need to let my hair down but I'm just so well drilled and driven that I'm really structured on how I am and mature, I'd like to think.

“I think a lot comes from my upbringing and I've tried to mature as quickly as possible.”

Bentley was speaking at a Kits for Kids event sponsored by Wickes, official DIY partner of the EFL.

72 children's football clubs across England and Wales have been rewarded with new kit, thanks to a national competition by Wickes. Local teams have been given the ultimate reward, with sets of brand new kit from Mitre, together with over 1,000 EFL tickets to all Kit for Kids winners to watch their local EFL team play.

Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.

You can even set it to receive push notifications for all the breaking news in your area.

Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android now!