New loan signing Paris Maghoma believes it’s right place, right time after joining Wanderers, writes Pete Oliver.
Brentford midfield man Maghoma has agreed a season-long loan with the Whites to return for another taste of League One.
The 22-year-old made 20 appearances for MK Dons last season and is now hoping to test himself at the other end of the table with Ian Evatt’s men.
“I had a chat with the gaffer and he gave me the plan for the season and the high hopes we have for ourselves,” said Maghoma, who also experienced first-team football on loan at AFC Wimbledon in the first half of the 2022/23 campaign.
“With how I’m trying to progress in my career, I think it was the perfect move for me and hopefully I can perform.
“From having my last season with teams in League Two and League One, I feel this is the right step, to come to a team that last season got to the play-offs and this season will have the same aims and, from my point of view, no reason why we can’t get automatic promotion.
“It’s always exciting to come to a place that has high hopes for themselves and has a big belief in themselves.”
Maghoma – a Tottenham Hotspur Academy graduate and former England U20 international – featured for the first team with Brentford in pre-season before the Bees jetted off to the United States to compete in the Premier League Series.
After becoming Wanderers’ eighth arrival of the summer transfer window, the central midfielder trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Monday and will add to the competition for places going into the Whites' new season, which starts on Saturday with the visit of Lincoln City.
Maghoma has already had a taste of the Toughsheet Community Stadium but after a 5-0 loss here with MK Dons in mid-February, is now looking forward to wearing the white shirt and changing his fortunes.
“You could obviously tell it was a great team and the atmosphere was really good (that night),” he added.
“It was nice seeing it first-hand but it was also hard at the same. I can’t even say the scoreline! Hopefully we can do that more this season and I can be on the right side.
“Being with the boys for the first time today and seeing how close they are a group, I’m buzzing.
“There’s a very good vibe. There are some big characters in there, some funny lads. I’m still getting to know people a little bit more but I feel like in a couple of weeks I’ll be like I’ve known these boys for a long time.
“I feel like being competitive is always good within the team and having that fight to be the one in the starting XI. Playing against the boys last season I know there are some very good players here – especially in midfield.
“It’s going to be tough but I feel, as a team, when one person is striving and working hard it also pushes the other person. It’s up the manager to decide who he wants in the starting XI and we go from there.”
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