Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka has acknowledged that his loan spell at Augsburg last season played a key role in his development, SportPremi reports.
The Nigerian international moved to Brentford in 2021 as their first signing after gaining promotion to the English Premier League, after an impressive spell at Danish side Midtjylland.
However, he joined Augsburg on a season-long loan deal ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, in a bid to secure more playing minutes.
The Super Eagles midfielder was very influential for the German club last season, featuring 31 times in the league as they ended the campaign in 12th place.
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The departure of Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur and the promotion of Keith Andrews to manager paved a way back for the midfielder at the club when he returned earlier in the summer.
He has made nine appearances for the Bees in all competitions this season, although he is yet to start a game in the English Premier League.
Everything Onyeka said about his Augsburg loan move
Frank Onyeka could be in contention for a first league start of the season when Brentford face Burnley later on Saturday.
Speaking ahead of the clash, the 27-year-old admitted that the move away from the club was important for his development.
“People often say that in the Bundesliga, players run a lot compared to the Premier League. When I got there, I felt it. They always want to go forward with every ball.
In the Premier League, teams know when to calm the game, when to move and when to play some passes before going forward; in Germany, teams just want to go forward at every opportunity”, the Nigerian midfielder revealed.
“It suited me really well; I love to go forward and track back. It was good for my game.”
The Nigerian midfielder also referred to the 1-0 result over title hopefuls Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season as his most memorable moment at the club.
“It was my first time playing there, the stadium, the yellow wall. I love those games. Dortmund was so loud – the fans are amazing. You could just feel the energy around the stadium”, Onyeka continued.
“Some players are scared of that. Of course, you are nervous going into those games, but as time goes on you settle down.
“We came in as the underdogs, but with positive minds to win the game, and we won 1-0 from a set-piece. We beat them home and away. It was a good feeling.”
Brentford welcome Burnley to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff slated at 4 PM, as they hope to secure a win to move them temporarily into the top half of the standings.
