Mahamadou Diarra has been training with Brentford for the past few months but it is only for the former Real Madrid midfielder to gain fitness.

The 35-year-old, who won four Ligue 1 titles with Lyon and two La Liga titles with the Spanish giants, has been without a club for two seasons after his release from Fulham in 2014.

And Diarra has been training with Dean Smith's side since the start of pre-season training.

The Brentford head coach explained: “He is training with the squad and has been for a while. It's not a trial. He wanted to get back to fitness and we've given him the opportunity to come here.

“He's been out injured for a long time and through people we knew, they contacted us and asked if he could come and train and he's been enjoying it and we've been enjoying his company.”

Discussions have not taken place between the club and Diarra over whether the 64-times capped Mali international could be awarded a contract.

Dean Smith

Smith added: “It's not been discussed between me or Mo to be honest. He's come into the football club and training to try and get back to fitness. He's been out for a long time and is no spring chicken at the moment.”

That said, Diarra has made a positive impression on Smith, passing on his experiences to the squad.

The head coach added: “That's what has been so pleasurable about him coming here. He's always on time, he's humble and polite.

“He gets his head down and trains. He's experienced and what he tells the younger lads is invaluable.

“What I like is he demands a lot of players in training and he's helping us get the best out of them.”