Premier League is the aim for Irish Bee Alan McCormack

Now in his 13th season of first-team football, Stella Maris product McCormack has played in all the divisions in England – bar the Premier – and also tasted action in the SPL.

Some positive form with Brentford this season had seen the Bees, led in midfield by ex-Ireland man Jonathan Douglas, emerge as real candidates for promotion to the elite league.

The recent record – three defeats in four – has seen Brentford slide to seventh in the Championship, while McCormack (31) has watched with frustration as he’s been out with an ankle injury since October.

He was back on the bench for last week’s Championship tie, a 3-0 loss to Charlton, but a win over table-toppers Bournemouth next weekend could put see the Bees buzzing again and for McCormack, that hope of a first-ever taste of the Premier League remains the goal.

“I think it’s every player’s dream to play in the Premier League in England, and if it comes my way for next season I will grab it with both hands,” McCormack told The Herald.

“The club is hoping to get there and I want to be part of it. Two years ago I was playing in League Two, now here we are competing to get into the Premier League. I think no one expects anything from Brentford but we know what we are capable of as we have ambition, as a club and as players.

“It’s been good playing in the Championship this season, I had a taste of this level early in my career, with Preston 11 years ago and I am just dying to get back into action now that I am fit again,” he added.

“I have been back in training for the last couple of weeks and I made the bench last weekend but it was a hard injury to recover from. I have worked hard to get back here, it was a long process but I am fit now and hopefully myself and the club can have a good finish to the season.

“I just need game time now but I hope to have a good run of games now and see if we can get Brentford up.”