Brentford's Schuster decision pays off in the Premier League

Jannik Schuster was little known in the Premier League before this season, even outside Brentford. But the 20-year-old centre-back provided an assist and was named man of the match in the Bees' 3-0 win over Chelsea on Friday night. Speaking after the game, head coach Keith Andrews said he had liked the player from the moment he first saw him.

Andrews said he admired Schuster's bravery and how he reacted to mistakes while watching him at RB Salzburg. The Irish coach said the player's character could be understood even from clips, adding that it is never certain how quickly a player will adapt to the pace and quality of the Premier League.

Schuster has played only four top-flight matches in England, so this is an early assessment. Even so, the transfer from Austria in May, for around 16 million pounds, already looks like a good decision. The club had tracked the player since his youth years, and his development in the Austrian Bundesliga had prompted the move.

Brentford's focus extends beyond athleticism, ball control and data, and places weight on character and personality as well. Thomas Frank's rule of not signing players with a poor character, applied over his seven years in charge, remains one of the core pillars of the recruitment process under Andrews.