West Ham forward Said Benrahma relishing ‘special’ return to Brentford – ‘the club that gave me everything’

West Ham forward Said Benrahma says it will be “special” to play against Brentford on Saturday as he will never forget how the club helped him after the tragic death of his father.

Benrahma’s father died in January 2020 and Brentford helped him cope with his loss.

The Algerian has since left the club, signing for West Ham last summer, but he has not forgotten how Brentford supported him.

As a result, Benrahma is looking forward to going back to his old club on Saturday for a pre-season friendly and also facing them in the Premier League this season.

“It’s special to go back, it’s a friendly match but we’ll also play them in the league this year,” said Benrahma. “I’m happy for them that they got promoted.

“Even when I had this tragedy when my father died, they gave me freedom with regards to my return, they didn’t make me come back. They said to me: ‘You can come back when you’re ready’.

“I think that Brentford is a club that gave me everything. They did give me everything, they helped me, they made me evolve and grow.

“Despite the fact I was only there for two years, they showed me a lot of love.”