Oooh. Sergi Canos (Ooh. Ahh). I wannna know-ow-ow-ow-owww, how you scored that goal…….
I was there when the (then) Liverpool loanee did just that for Brentford at Reading back in December 2015.
I was there when he scored that stunner against Blackburn – our first game at Lionel Road with supporters allowed in following the relaxing of lockdown rules.
I wasn’t there when he ended up at the station with supporters making their way home after his 2 goals in that incredible Championship game at Burton saw 3-1 down at HT turn into 5-3 win (but that’s another story).
I was there when he scored our first ever Premier League goal as we went on to beat Arsenal 2-0 and go top of the Premier League table on that wonderful Friday night under the lights.
Like most if us, I was there for pretty much all of it but now it seems Sergi is a Bee no more with his signing for Olympiacos being broadly reported as a ‘done deal’ ahead of today’s transfer deadline day.
Oh, Sergi Canos. My 9 year old son’s favourite player for as long as we can remember. That’s going to be a tough one to break to him. The player who made his 249th appearance for Brentford as we beat Liverpool 3-1 earlier this month. Who, even in that most recent appearance inspired one of the most beautiful moments between opposition supporters, with the cry of, “He left cos you’re shit’ ringing around the Gtech. A game where a chance meeting with yours truly at full-time saw his enthusiasm for the game and warm approach to the Brentford fans hadn’t waned any.
Sergi Canos. The player who took time out of his day to talk to supporters.
Who hung out with the fans, not just at the station but on the Braemar Road forecourt when injury robbed him of game time. Who made dad (me) look like the best parent ever by signing a birthday shirt for our Harry.
Any nerves felt when given the chance to speak to a favourite, ever player immediately disappearing when the chance arose. That was the Sergi effect. All smiles. All enthusiasm.
The player who loved the Bees and gave his all every time he pulled on a Brentford shirt.
Whose bromance with fellow Spaniard Jota was the stuff of much good-nature back in the day. The fine tuning of the King’s car met with swift and brutal retribution.
Out of position or playing where preferred, he always put in 110%. The comments in regards to his recent posting about a favourite position, the latest round of bollocks from the usual hate mob. The same tedious few who had already caused Sergi to talk about how previous social media abuse had impacted his own mental health. The same gang who had already been responsible for the incessant vitriol towards our own head coach (how IS the Frank Out campaign going, btw?) and Matthias Jensen (mmm, and how is that going, too?).
Thankfully, they remain a minority amongst the broader fanbase. Sergi’s name and ‘that’ question ringing around the stadium every time he takes to the pitch.
The season ending game against Leeds United last campaign, where we had the opportunity to send them down, saw him come off the bench, level things up with 12 minutes to go, send the crowd nuts at the prospect of what may come next then promptly get booked for the celebration. A second yellow a few moments later and that was Sergi in a nutshell. Enthusiasm, passion and goals. Sadly, on this occasion, it didn’t quite go our way but it was very much the thin end of a wedge that normally saw him finding success and celebration.
Sergi’s time with Brentford has seen us heading in an ever upward direction. He started the play-off final against Swansea and by the time he finally left the field of play, we had one foot good in the Premier League. Those post-match scenes will live forever in the memory.
Whatever happens between Brentford and Olympiacos today, we’ll always have Wembley. We’ll always have Burton. We’ll always have Arsenal. We’ll always have Reading. We’ll always remember a player who, incredibly, is still only 25 years old. He seems to have been around at Brentford forever.
It’ll be a sad, sad time when he moves on. Not just in our house but all around West London. Sergi, if you are somehow reading this, thank you for everything. Thank you for the great times and wonderful memories. Thank you for everything you did for Brentford and the fans.
Thank you for making me look good in front of my boy and, more importantly, ALWAYS making his day whenever paths crossed. The best of luck in the future and may our paths cross once more in the future. There’s always Europe…
As for now, I’m trying to think of my ultimate Sergi moment. Arsenal was amazing, of course. Such an outpouring of joy and love amongst the fans. For our team, for Sergi and a celebration that showed just how much it meant. It was the goal that took us to the top of the ‘as it stand’ Premier League table. And we went on to stand there all night long.
The play-off final, incredible. A team performance of which he was the very heart. All the hard work. All the blood, sweat and tears coming together on that afternoon. Celebrations that will leave on forever.
The strike against Blackburn equally special. It was our first time watching football together once more. The moment we’d been waiting for throughout lockdown and since that last ten together at griffin Park. Sergi had been copping social media nonsense and so for it all to come together and be answered in such emphatic style was almost karmic.
Then there’s ‘that’ goal. Whatever your favourite Sergi moment, that has to be up there. The video will be doing the rounds. My own words from the time, the morning after that game, still feel as fresh to me now as they did back then. That’s what a strike of such quality will do.
Then Sergi Canos happened.
It was a goal that had Brentford fans purring with delight and Liverpool supporters waxing lyrical about a player they’d rarely mentioned – certainly across our social media timeline. But then, when you score a goal like this, it’s no wonder they were trying to take the credit for it.
Ryan Woods, man-of-the-match by a country mile, lofted a perfect ball to the Spaniard out on the right wing. His first touch was sheer perfection as he lofted it past Stephen Quinn in a style almost reminiscent of Gazza leaving Colin Hendry for dead at Euro ’96. One man gone. By comparison he made drifting past his second man, Michael Hector, looks positively easy before firing home on the diagonal from the edge of the box to the far corner.
Bees fans went bonkers and Canos was ecstatic. Bond was left shaken and stirred whilst Tom Moore has to reopen his book on ‘goal of the month’ . Even Channel 5 recognised we were at the Madjeski.
But hey, why not enjoy it one more time? Over to you Mark Burridge. Over to you, Sergi Canos….
BrentfordFC 
I can’t understand why there is no place ion the team for him, at 25 he should have his best years in front of him. But who am I to question why, when Brentford sit in 8th place in the PL and we have the best coach as well.
If Canos leaves, or has gone, thank you for everything. Your contribution has been enormous.
Yes… 100% player who always lifted the fans when ever he was on the pitch, made a great fuss of my 2 grandsons when they were mascots against the team who are a BUS STOP IN PUTNEY they treasure the signed photos of that day.. Thanks for the memory SERGI who scored that goal
Sergi sent me a personal video message (organised by my family) on the occasion of a recent big birthday. He will be missed by many of us.
Sent from my iPhone
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Yea agree with a lot of that Nick …. Thomas did Canos and the club no favours playing him as a right wing back for just about all of last season. (Be like playing Jensen as a centre forward!).
As an out and out left winger he’d be a hard to drop as a wing back easy to drop.
Going back to Jensen …. most improved player this year without a doubt …. every player we have you know what you’re getting ….. Jensen has improved his game as I wouldn’t have played him half as much last season. Hence when we signed Eriksen he didn’t start all the time. His best game (and I only see home games or away games on moody sites!) was against Man U and they were crap that day. I think there’s no question that Jensen has been afforded more playing time than any other Bees player … so players like Dasilva, Onyeka, Baptiste etc. barring injury weren’t preferred over Jensen plus there was a world cup coming up and you could argue that Thomas was honing Denmarks midfield. That said he has improved.
Difficult selection decision for Frank when the likes of Hickey, Pontus are all back to full fitness …. with no cup competitions left for us getting fringe players an airing is a job in itself …. nevermind seeing KLP and Damsgaard get a proper run out …. but better than being down to the bare bones.
So long may Jensens improvement continue ….. thanks for the memories Canos (shame it all went a bit flat in your last year with us) ….. and dare I say Europa league here we come!?
As always COYB’s
For me, Sergi was summed up, by the way he came back from that very long injury, when Brentford advanced hugely without him, with the BMW in full effect. Yet the BMW was broken up, and a newly fit Sergi was able to step into the side once again, and was able to carry on where he left off. His commitment and enthusiasm for the club he plays for can never be doubted and Olympiacos supporters will now be able to enjoy his commitment to the cause and a real pride in pulling on a shirt with red & white stripes