Bees striker Charlie MacDonald believes team mate Sam Saunders still has a future at Griffin Park despite a disappointing first season at the club.

The 26-year-old midfielder has failed to scale the heights of last season’s goal scoring exploits with Dagenham & Redbridge, that persuaded Brentford boss Andy Scott to bring him to west London.

Saunders, who has two years left on his contract, notched his first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw with Yeovil Town, having spent large chunks of his first campaign on the bench.

But MacDonald has backed the winger to prove his critics wrong come August and firmly establish himself as a regular starter in League One.

“He has had a bit of bad luck this year and hasn’t played as much as he would have liked,” he said.

“If a couple of his shots, that hit the post or whispered wide, had gone in then things might have been different for him.

“I’m sure he’ll come back with a point to prove in the summer and see if he can force his way into the gaffer’s plans.

“He is a very good player. We see that day in, day out in training. He just needs to transfer that on to the pitch and I’m sure he’ll have a future at the club.”