Harlee Dean is proud of the five years he has spent with Brentford and how they have continually progressed during his spell at Griffin Park.

Dean first moved to west London, initially on loan from Southampton, on November 24 2011, making his debut two days later against Rochdale.

At that time, the Bees were a top half League One side but over the past five years the club has gone on to establish themselves in the Championship.

And Dean spoke of his pride at being involved in a club on the up, rather than one on the slide.

He said: “I'm very proud of it. In those five years, the club has been on the up. We've only had progression.

Captain: Harlee Dean

“Losing play off finalists. Promotion. Losing play off semi finalists and another good season last season. I'm proud of it and I've played a lot of games in those five years as well.”

GetWestLondon sat down with the Brentford captain to discuss his five years in greater detail at Griffin Park. Below are the questions and answers.

GWL: What were your first impressions when you arrived?

HD: “You're a kid coming into a first team club. Everything is unbelievable and you don't care what it's like.

“You're just playing football and getting a chance to play in the league. I was lucky enough to get that opportunity and take it.

“You don't think about kit or training. Your sole purpose was performing on a Saturday and making sure you had a career in football.”

GWL: Were there moments where you wondered whether you would have that career in football?

HD: “At Dagenham there was as they were at the bottom. I remember making my debut and then never getting a look in for a while afterwards.

2011/12: Harlee Dean against Bournemouth

“You're kids then and you don't know what you know now. A lot of pros say it goes like that. You brush it off but it does.

“There have been times here when I've questioned myself but when I was at Dagenham definitely.

“I was earning hardly any money at all. I was working for my Dad on a Saturday and working at a golf club to pay for my car insurance.

“It made me who I am today – everything happens for a reason. I can only be happy with the way it has worked out.”

GWL: How big an influence were your parents at that time?

HD: “Mum and Dad were the ones who made sacrifices driving you to games and training and I'm going to find out how stressful that is with my little one.

“You can only thank them enough and I'm sure they're proud of me and proud of themselves for getting me here because it's down to them as well.”

Inspiration: Alessandro Del Piero

GWL: What about players, who inspired you as a kid?

HD: “I remember Del Piero. He was probably the first shirt I got. It was one of those hookie ones off a market stall with probably the wrong badge and colour.

“I wore that in the garden with the swings as goalposts. I was a centre midfielder until I was 16 so I was looking at Gerrard or Roy Keane. Beckham was up there.”

GWL: At the end of the season, you signed for Brentford permanently. Was it an easy decision?

HD: “I was solely focused on Saturdays and I was playing well and at the end of the season I had a lot of offers.

“Looking back at those teams now and where we are, I know we made the right decision.”

2012/13: Harlee Dean against Chelsea

GWL: Your first full season was pretty dramatic and there was the Chelsea FA Cup match. What do you remember?

HD: “It's funny. My granddad asked me what it was like to play at Newcastle. It doesn't make a difference – the stadium or fans when I'm out there.

“I just see a football pitch and a game of football. I've not been in awe because of the atmosphere. It is what it is.

“After you may look back and think that was good. During the game, it doesn't play a part.”

GWL: The end of the season was dramatic with highs and lows. How did that affect you?

HD: “Obviously, Doncaster was a terrible low then you had the ups of the semi finals and the low of the final. It was what it was.

2012/13: Harlee Dean celebrates his goal against Yeovil

“A seasoned pro might have had regrets or something they could take. I was only 19, 20 so I was happy to be there.

“I was gutted but at the end of the day, I got that experience so I know if it comes to that situation again it'd be different like when we got to the semi finals against Middlesbrough. I treated it like another game.”

GWL: Did that spur you on the following season?

“It was great to score at Wembley as it was every boy's dream. Matthew Benham was the one who spurred me on and probably most of the team on.

“After we lost the game he came into the changing room and gave a great speech. It was saying that we'll do it next year and he'll make sure of it and he stuck to his word and we did it.”

2013/14: Harlee Dean celebrates promotion

GWL: During the promotion season was there a moment where you knew it was going to happen?

HD: “There wasn't a particular moment. We were on a good run. We went unbeaten before Christmas.

“We had a row at Stevenage afterwards and I think it turned around from there and that row was needed and from there we turned the season around.”

GWL: Uwe Rosler left for Wigan and was replaced by Mark Warburton. Were you concerned?

HD: “Mark was the one who brought me in and Uwe passed off on me. I was sceptical as I didn't know what he was like as a coach but after his first session, I knew he was good.

“I remember battling with my stomach injury and that was the main thing on my mind.

“I think we'd have gone up anyway but Warbs made sure we went up with his and Davie Weir's coaching and their style of play. We didn't fear anyone and could play our football.

“We did what we'd planned to do. It was good times and everyone played a part. You never forget times like that. We went off in the summer and celebrated it as well.”

2014/15: Harlee Dean against Cardiff

GWL: It was a difficult time for you at the start of the season in the Championship. Did you think about a loan move?

HD: “There did come a time where I wanted to go on loan and play. I hadn't started the season due to the injury and I found when I was getting in I was the easy option to take out.

“I didn't enjoy that but it was the best decision I made to stay and fight as I played the most games out of the centre halves.

“I finished the season strongly and told myself that I was good enough to play at this level. It was about learning.

“I was 22 and making mistakes but we finished fifth. If I make mistakes and we finish fifth then I'll take that.”

2015/16: Harlee Dean against Huddersfield

GWL: Obviously the club made a lot of changes that summer. What was that like?

HD: “I think that was a mistake and I think that they realise that. There were too many ins and outs. It didn't work and we struggled for it.

“We had a pretty poor pre season and we weren't as fit as we should have been at the start and it turned around when Lee and Willo came in.

“Dean stepped in we could see the light at the end of the tunnel and we finished the season strongly.

“It was a difficult time but that was where you needed the big players in the dressing room even though most were leaving.

“I don't feel anything came together that season. We were inconsistent again but got results at the end and got in the top 10.”

2016/17: Harlee Dean at QPR

GWL: What are your ambitions now?

HD: “You always want to build. With the little one being here now. I want to be the best I can be so he can have a good life. We've got to be better but I think we'll be all right.”

GWL: Taking those five years as a whole, what are you most proud of?

HD: “I think, as a whole, it's playing involved in around 95 per cent of games. It's something I'm proud of.

“Playing a lot of games and doing well in a lot of games and learning in a lot of games is something I'm proud of.

“I've played through pain and injuries because I love playing football. The goals against Fulham and at Wembley.

“The day we got promoted I was standing on the side with Adam Forshaw and seeing Judgey score and the final whistle knowing the other results as I'd seen them on my phone – that was a great moment as well.”