Brentford’s Moses Odubajo reflects on ‘dark times’ during two-year injury spell

The defender made his first league start since May 2016 against Leeds on Saturday

It’s been a long journey for Moses Odubajo (Getty Images)

“There were times where I felt like giving up.”

It’s been a long journey for Moses Odubajo. The last time he started a league game was in the Championship play-off final in 2016, which saw Hull City clinch promotion.

After tearing a knee ligament, his recovery was then cut short by a fractured kneecap just a few months later. The full-back never played a game in Hull’s only season in the top flight, nor in the following campaign when they returned to the Football League.

Now back at Brentford, the club Odubajo was at prior to his time in the North East, there is finally a sense of excitement about his career again. There are moments he can now happily say are in the past.

“I think if I said there weren’t dark times I’d be lying,” the defender admits, with a calm tone in his voice. “Luckily I had a lot of good people around me at the time. When I was striving in the gym, and everyone was outside, the lads would come in, gee me up and ask how things are. Even the manager at the time, Marco Silva, showed a keen interest in how my recovery was going.”

“But it’s been tough,” he adds, “It’s been a long road, you know. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

The defender is stood just outside the tunnel at Elland Road, his hands in his pockets, reflecting on an important moment that’s been two years in the making. Brentford’s 1-1 draw at Leeds on Saturday wasn’t his best performance, but it’s a big sign of progress.

“I felt good, especially coming to a ground like this, where the atmosphere is one of the best in the league. It just felt amazing for me to finally be classed as a fit player.”

Pontus Jansson grabbed the equaliser for Leeds on Saturday (REUTERS)

Pure coincidence saw two members of staff at Hull, who often trained one-on-one with the 25-year-old during his rehabilitation, watching on from the dugout as they now work at Leeds. Ruben Crespo and Rob Price never got to see the full-back make his return at the KCOM, so it seemed fitting for them to be there for Odubajo’s first Championship start since his departure.

While on Humberside, he was playing in a back four that included the likes of now esteemed Premier League defenders Andy Robertson and Harry Maguire. From the amount of interest around Odubajo – before and after his time on the sidelines – and the praise he’s received along the way, there’s a feeling he could’ve been at a similar level too had injuries not blocked his way.

After turning down a contract to stay in Hull this summer, the defender had a number of offers, including an invite to train with Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic, which he took up. But despite the interest, and Rodgers branding him a “big talent”, Odubajo eventually settled on familiar territory at Brentford, where he seems to be happiest.

“The minute I started training with the team I automatically just felt it was the right decision for me to come back,” he says, “You can see for yourself the football we play, especially coming away to Leeds at the top of the league and having them 1-0 down until 88 minutes is good for the team. But I think it just feels like home, you know, and it was the right decision for me.”

Dean Smith has been keeping both the Brentford players and fans happy this season (Getty)

Down in West London, manager Dean Smith is undoubtedly continuing to develop an entertaining brand of football, and their ability to play attractively hasn’t gone unnoticed. Odubajo says he’s “not surprised at all” players are being snapped up, or that Smith has been linked with the Aston Villa job.

“In training there just feels like there’s a swagger about how we train and how we play,” says the defender, “I think everyone’s on the same page and that helps a lot and everyone’s comfortable on the ball and I know we can give it to our teammates in situations where they’re under pressure.”

“You’ve seen the amount of players who’ve left the club over the last three or four seasons,” he adds, “It’s a compliment to the style of football that we play. If this game [against Leeds] was probably two seasons ago it wouldn’t be on the box. But you can see how far the club’s come and that’s credit to the manager, the coaching staff and the players.”