'Imagine' – Brentford's Onyeka slams hectic season, cites Super Eagles v Russia friendly

Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka cited the Russia versus Nigeria friendly on June 6, 2025 as he reflected on a grueling season in which he played 44 matches for clubs and country.

While Onyeka appeared in seven matches for the Super Eagles during the 2024–2025 season, including three in the summer, he featured in 37 games across all competitions for Brentford and Augsburg.

After the end of the Bundesliga season, he played 82 minutes in Nigeria's Unity Cup opener against Ghana, before going the distance in back-to-back games against Jamaica and Russia. 

The FC Ebedei product confirmed that several European clubs, including Brentford, are now relying on fitness-tracking watches to keep tabs on players' conditioning levels over the summer break.

Onyeka spoke candidly about the challenges of professional football, emphasising how the intense schedule impacts both his personal time and family life.

"At the same time, you get to travel a lot. You don't get to spend time with the family," Onyeka said on The Culture League podcast.

The Nigerian international pointed to the end of the 2024–2025 season as an example of the intense demands placed on players.

"Imagine after the season we went to Russia to play a game. We went to camp after the last match with the national team, we played games, and then we travelled to Russia. It's hectic," he added.

Although Onyeka has been linked with a departure in the summer transfer window, with Valencia credited with an interest, he is hoping to impress Brentford's new boss Keith Andrews during pre-season preparations.

The Bees started preparations for the 2025-2026 season last week ahead of their trip to Portugal for a training camp. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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