Brentford midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo continued his return from injury with 70 minutes in Sunday’s friendly against Portsmouth and insisted he still has a role to play in the Bees’ promotion efforts.
The 29-year-old was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Fulham, which saw Thomas Frank’s side close the gap to their third-placed West London rivals to just one point in the Championship table.
But having feared his season was over after sustaining an injury in January, the South Africa international was delighted to be involved at Craven Cottage, after seeing his contract - which was due to conclude at the end of this month - be extended until the end of the season.
Following the 1-1 draw with Pompey, he said: “It’s good to be back and getting game time. I’d been gradually building myself up but I feel ready to step it up and play with a bit more intensity now.
“For me, this is an opportunity to prove that I can still play an important part in the team. It was good to have a little break, and I’ve come back with a fresh perspective about what I want for myself and how I can influence some of the games.
“It’s great to know that the manager has faith in me - it shows how much the club appreciates the player I am. I respect him [Thomas Frank] as a coach and I respect the team. I think the most important thing for a player is to get fit and keep knocking on the door so the other players don’t get too comfortable.”
🗣 "I have come back with a very fresh perspective on what I want for myself and how I can influence some of the games"
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) June 23, 2020
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The return to fitness of the former FC Twente star is a welcome boost to Frank as he looks to steer Brentford towards the top flight for what would be the first time during the Premier League era.
Victory over the Cottagers on Saturday leaves them eight points off the automatic promotion places with only eight games remaining, and with all of the table’s top three sides failing to win at the weekend, Mokotjo is understandably confident ahead of his team’s run in.
He said: “The boys are much fitter than most teams; we just need to keep showing that which we know is going to be tough in the Championship.
“But the competition in the team is very healthy and the boys push each other. We train with so much intensity, we transfer that to the games and the boys are all fit and ready to go.
“It was the perfect way to start the restart, and it was really enjoyable to be part of because I hate losing to Fulham! Stability, consistency and togetherness will help us achieve our goal.”
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