CHARLIE MacDonald has urged best pal Craig Holloway to show Brentford FC what he is capable of and earn himself a contract.

Bees striker MacDonald is an old friend of former Arsenal, Southend and Ebbsfleet keeper Holloway (right), who is on trial at Griffin Park.

And he reckons this could be just the chance Holloway needs to resurrect what was once a promising career.

He said: "Craig is a very talented keeper. Arsenal must have rated him early on as he was on the bench for them at a Champions League tie in Valencia.

"He’s had a bad knee injury, which has held him back, and he just needs that one break to get back into the Football League.

"We played together at Gravesend (now Ebbsfleet), and he always showed potential. Craig’s still only 24, so he’s got a lot of years left in him."

MacDonald admits he tipped boss Andy Scott off about Holloway, as he did about the Dagenham & Redbridge trio - Ben Strevens, Sam Saunders and Danny Foster - who the club recently signed.

And while he joked he could have a sideline as a football agent, he added: "To be honest, the gaffer knows players at this level inside out, so he probably knew all about them already."