Brentford hall of famer Sam Saunders admitted it was the ambition of the Bees that led to him taking the club close to his heart.

The winger remains popular at Griffin Park after his eight year spell with the club came to an end in January this year.

However, the now Wycombe man remains a west London resident and still pops along to Griffin Park when he is able to.

He said: “To be honest I look at Brentford's results before Spurs (Saunders' childhood team). I was there for eight years. It's around the corner from my house so I'll go over and see the lads play.

“I was injured and didn't travel to the game. My first port of call is Brentford. The missus thinks she's going to get a day with me but I'm at Brentford.

“The results haven't been there but performances have been good. Unfortunately that's the way it goes.

“The way Brentford play is they play an open, attacking, attractive brand of football and that can open you up to get punished.

“It'd be different if they were losing and not having a foothold in the game and results will come.”

When asked what led him to catching the Brentford bug, Saunders thought about it and declared that it was the philosophy of the club.

He added: “The ambition of the club. I know Matthew Benham and the guys get a bit of stick for selling the players but they've always made a massive profit on the players.

“They've found them out of nowhere and helped them on their journey along with improving year by year.

“I love the philosophy of the club of bringing players through. They're still striving to get into the Premier League and hopefully the stadium comes sooner or later to get them in there.

Sam Saunders

“I know how hard they've been working towards it and I'm sure it'll come sooner or later.”

Saunders may have departed in January but he hopes to be back at Griffin Park in some capacity at some point in the future.

He added: “It is a special club and will always be a club that will think fondly of.

“When I picked up the hall of fame award, it meant a lot to me and my family. I'm hopeful I'll be back at the club in some capacity in some stage.”

Brentford fans had a well known terrace song that they probably wouldn't sing at home but Saunders sees it just as part of the banter.

“She don't care. If it gets me out of the house, she don't care,” Saunders joked when asked about how his other half viewed the song. “The fans sing it when they see me. It's a good bit of banter. It make the fans feel it's a different clubs.

Sam Saunders

“Fans can speak to the players and not be segregated away and it makes Brentford different to other clubs they play against.”

Saunders was speaking at a coaching event at Chiswick High School which saw the use of Toca machines that help players practice their technique.

He said: “I was more than happy to come down and we always like seeing young lads get off their Playstations and get outside.”