Alex Pritchard Boy to Man

Alex Pritchard grew up at Swindon Town with his manager suggesting he arrived a boy and left a man. The highly promising Spurs youngster has taken that new found maturity to the Championship and Brentford this season, where he is on loan, but also now into the England U21 set up under Gareth Southgate.

Alex Pritchard Boy to Man


He came on for his debut as a substitute with the score at 0-0 on Thursday and shortly after Harry Kane scored the winning goal. The final 10 minutes of the game was about seeing out the victory rather than employing his attacking talents but he was pleased to have got onto the pitch to get a tatse of U21 football.

"I had my first full year of men's football at Swindon so I'm looking to continue that here. I felt I needed to make the step back up to Championship, where I've previously played with Peterborough. 
"Hopefully people will be watching and I can show them what I can do. But you've just got to concentrate on your game and the rest will take care of itself. 
"I'm a Brentford player now so I'll work hard for the team and whatever happens, happens. I've settled in really well. All the lads have made me feel welcome.

Fulham manager Felix Magath made a telling remark about one of his own players he had introduced recently into a Fulham defeat. He said he had been playing Under 21 football so was not used to being tackled.

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At that level it's all about learning the skills and development, to apply what they are taught players get sent out on loan to play first-team football where they have to fight for their place and see a different world. It's at that point that you see what the player can really do. It's great being skilful but if you can't transfer that to a game situation through a lack of confidence perhaps or your need to channel a feisty nature, you'll struggle to make it. Pritchard explained the difference he has seen referring to his loan move to Swindon in League One last season.

"It made me more confident. The U21 league is a good level but you're not playing against men. You can't get bullied because that's what defenders will try and do when they see the size of me. 
"That's going to happen but you've got to get on with it and not react, which is what I did in one game last year. I got sent-off in the derby at Bristol City. I learned a lot last season." 

So far this season he has played five Championship games against Charlton, Bournemouth, Blackpool, against whom he scored, Birmingham and Rotherham. Whoscored stats tell us he has played more key passes for Brentford than any other player in those games, 15, his nearest rivals have 9 and 6 respectively. He has been fouled 14 times, again more than any other player so clearly he is a target to stop. He was delighted to get his first goal and spoke to the clubs official website afterwards.

“It was my first Championship goal and I'm sure there's more to come – and now I want to get my first home one. 
“They say to me express yourself when you get the ball, and with Dougie [Jonathan Douglas] sitting deep it gives me and Alan Judge the chance to get forward and try to create things – although he's not shy in calling us back to defend either. 
“For the goal, I took a touch but thought the defender would get it, so I just reacted and hit it, and I think the defender was blocking the keeper's view. 
“Coming from a club like Spurs, I have always learned from the best players in the world and try to watch people in my position like Christian Eriksen, whose technical ability is brilliant.”

England have their final UEFA Under 21 Championship Qualifier at 5pm tonight against Moldova away when with England already qualified he'll be hoping for another chance to impress.