Brentford's Victory Highlights Celebrity Presence and Player Developments
Yoane Wissa may be eager to leave Brentford, but the attendance of supermodel Claudia Schiffer and England manager Thomas Tuchel at their recent victory over Aston Villa underscored the appeal of Gtech Community Stadium this season.
Wissa returned to training with the Brentford squad this week after previously expressing his desire to move on. However, Brentford manager Keith Andrews stated following the team's 1-0 win over Villa that it was "the right decision for the group" not to include Wissa in Saturday's matchday squad.
Wissa missed the opportunity to meet Schiffer, who attended the game with her husband, filmmaker and Brentford investor Matthew Vaughn. Tuchel, who is 54 years old, even visited the home dressing room before the match for a brief meet-and-greet with the Brentford players.
“We all said 'hello' before the game,” Bees midfielder Jordan Henderson told BBC Match of the Day. “Hopefully she comes to the next one as well if we get the three points.”
From a footballing perspective, Henderson was likely more focused on Tuchel's presence in the stands, as the England manager was there to observe him, along with players Tyrone Mings, Morgan Rogers, and Ollie Watkins.
Henderson, who received an unexpected recall from the Three Lions boss last March, provided a steady presence in midfield for Brentford. He left the pitch to a standing ovation from the home supporters when substituted in the 68th minute.
“It was nice to be back,” Henderson remarked. “The Premier League is the best in the world, and hopefully I can play a few more.”
It is hard to envision Schiffer and Tuchel reminiscing about their visits to the old Griffin Park stadium, where they watched the Bees compete in the fourth tier during the 2008-09 season.
“It shows where the club is, I suppose,” Andrews commented. “It’s a nice part of London for people to come and watch football games, so I hope they enjoyed it.”
Brentford's clean sheet against Villa matched their total from the entire previous season at home in the Premier League. The club-record signing Dango Ouattara made a promising debut, scoring the decisive goal, which was especially satisfying for Andrews.
“He [Ouattara] was amazing. He will be a big player for this club,” added the Bees boss. “His attributes are clear to see, and you’ll see more of that as we gain more control of games and are able to feed him more.”