DANIEL Bentley insists he will not get carried away by his stunning start to the Championship season with Brentford.

The former Southend United goalkeeper has won three man of the match awards in eight games and has also made more saves than anyone else in the Championship.

But the 23-year-old remains fully focused on maintaining his fine form.

“It’s been a really good start and I’m happy to have hit the ground running but I need to keep it going all season,” said Bentley, who is from Wickford.

“Man of the match awards and certain statistics are pleasing things to hear but the main thing is helping the team do well.

“We’ve had a good start and we’re in the play-off positions at the moment, so I think we should be looking to go on and achieve something this year.”

Bentley has started all eight of Brentford’s league games so far this season and the Bees currently have the best defensive record in the division having conceded just five goals.

And Bentley now feels fully justified in heading to Griffin Park when deciding to leave the Shrimpers in the summer.

“I had a few options and you can’t have a crystal ball to see how things are going to work out but I always thought Brentford was going to be a really good move for me,” said Bentley.

“You can never be guaranteed a place but I thought I would have a good chance of playing at Brentford.

“It was also stepping up a league for the third season in a row for me and it’s not too far away from home either so it ticked a lot of boxes.

“It’s a club with a lot of young, hungry players and I fit that bill too so it was a good fit all round.”

However, this season is the first since back in 2008 that Bentley has not been with Southend.

And the Basildon-born shot-stopper has found it strange no longer being at Roots Hall.

“I had been at Southend for so long that I was part of the furniture and it’s very weird not being there anymore,” said Bentley.

“I knew the name of everyone who was there and they knew me so to move on from that does take a little bit of getting used to.

“I’ve moved away and can see Griffin Park out of the window from where I live but I’ll certainly be back to watch a few games at Roots Hall whenever is possible this season.”

Bentley added he would always be grateful for the opportunities given to him by the Shrimpers.

And he hopes Phil Brown’s side can recover from a shaky start to the season.

“Southend is the first result I look for every Saturday and it’s been disappointing to see them not winning more,” said Bentley.

“I hope the club can have a good season and work their way up the table.”

Bentley made 160 appearances for Blues before opting to move on but a transfer fee has not yet been decided and is likely to be settled by a tribunal.