Thiago's rise from bricklayer to Brentford's new goal hero

Where are Brentford's goals going to travel from?

It was a mobility their fans person heard asked countless times complete nan past mates of years - a fewer mightiness good person asked it themselves.

But moreover earlier it had been raised arsenic a morganatic concern, nan Bees person travel up pinch a response.

When Ivan Toney was handed an eight-month prohibition successful May 2023 for breaking Football Association betting rules, Bryan Mbeumo was fresh to measurement up until he returned.

Last summertime Toney departed for Al-Ahli, but again Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa not only helped capable nan void, but impressively accrued nan westbound London club's goalscoring threat.

That duo, though, near this summertime and nan acquainted attacking worries returned. But, erstwhile more, Brentford look to person it covered.

Step guardant Igor Thiago.

The Brazilian, 24, has started nan run successful good shape pinch his double against Manchester United connected Saturday taking his Premier League tally to 4 successful six games, pinch different coming successful nan Carabao Cup.

Thiago's 2 early goals astatine nan Gtech besides made him conscionable nan 2nd subordinate to people doubly against United wrong nan first 20 minutes of a Premier League match, aft Alexis Sanchez successful 2015 for Arsenal.

"Igor Thiago is for illustration a throwback centre-forward," erstwhile Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole told TNT Sport.

"He attacks nan abstraction very well. Technically he is proficient. His all-round crippled impressed maine truthful much."

Given really small we saw of Thiago past season, you could beryllium forgiven for reasoning this was a caller signing making an contiguous impact.

His presence for a then-club-record £30m interest from Club Brugge successful July 2024 was viewed arsenic a existent coup for Brentford to switch nan outgoing Toney.

However, earlier nan England striker had moreover departed, Thiago suffered a meniscus wounded successful his first pre-season crippled and was sidelined until November.

A knee infection led to different lengthy spell connected nan sidelines and he ended his first play astatine Brentford having not scored successful 8 appearances.

But Thiago, who scored 29 times successful his sole play successful Belgium, is making up for mislaid clip now.

"I watched Igor [at] adjacent quarters past twelvemonth and nan struggles he had," Brentford leader Keith Andrews told TNT Sports.

"It's nan worst portion of being a master footballer being injured and not being capable to do what you emotion doing. I built a bully narration pinch Igor down nan scenes.

"I person ever been alert of his qualities arsenic a footballer and really overmuch he wants it. Sometimes he wants it excessively overmuch excessively soon and he needs to beryllium a spot diligent pinch getting hit into his game, but his publication to this squad was ne'er going to beryllium successful doubt.

"For nan extracurricular world now, they are starting to spot that."

Overcoming adversity is thing caller for Thiago, though.

"When I was 13 years old, my begetter passed away," nan frontman told Brentford's charismatic website past summer.

"I started to activity astatine nan adjacent carrying fruit. I besides worked arsenic a bricklayer. I had respective jobs erstwhile I was younger, earlier I sewage into master shot and sewage nan opportunity to play abroad.

"It helped maine arsenic a man, and it helped maine arsenic a person. It helped maine to admit nan small and large things successful life, because coming I look astatine my life and spot that I'm privileged pinch everything I have."

For a number of years, a profession arsenic a master footballer simply was not a information arsenic Thiago prioritised supporting his mother.

But aft getting to play for Vere FC astatine a location level successful nan southbound Brazil, he moved to master broadside Cruzeiro earlier getting his chance successful Europe pinch Bulgarian broadside Ludogorets.

"My early life decidedly affected nan measurement I play. I was besides very focused connected nan things I wanted to do," Thiago precocious told Brentford's charismatic lucifer programme.

His 15 goals helped Ludogorets triumph nan Bulgarian title successful 2022-23 and was besides named Conference League young subordinate of nan play for scoring 7 goals arsenic Club Brugge reached nan semi-finals of nan European competition.

Now, aft an injury-plagued first twelvemonth successful England, Thiago - eligible to play for either Brazil aliases Bulgaria astatine world level - is showing signs he mightiness beryllium getting backmost to his best.

Match of nan Day pundit Alan Shearer added: "He hardly played past play because of wounded but he sewage his 2 goals successful that half and that's what a striker is going to get judged for.

"He looks for illustration he tin capable nan void near by Mbeumo and Wissa."

Time will tell, but nan early indications are Brentford person recovered nan reply to immoderate frontline fears.