Brentford striker Charlie MacDonald reckons five months of injury hell and not playing a part in Brentford’s League Two title run-in has made him finally appreciate what he has.

The 28-year-old sat out the last seven games of last season with a shoulder injury picked up against Gillingham and celebrated his return to action with a spectacular goal against Bristol Rovers last week.

MacDonald has endured a career of ups and downs since starting out as a trainee with Charlton Athletic and scoring his only Premier League goal in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle in December 2001.

The former Southend man slipped into non-League football following his exit from the Valley, but has bounced back and gives current boss Andy Scott full credit for rescuing him from another downward spiral.

And he believes the whole experience has left him a changed man.

“When I was at Charlton I suppose I took things for granted. I thought I didn’t have to put in the effort because a I had a bit of ability. I assumed things would just happen for me. I found out very quickly that wasn’t the case,” he said.

“I was down in non-League feeling a bit hard done by. I was probably a bit of a prima donna, thinking I was too good for that level, until I got beaten up by a few teams in the Conference.

“My family had a few harsh words with me and reality hit home. I had to roll my sleeves up and do the ugly side of the game to get back where I wanted to be. Thankfully I managed it.

“Things didn’t work out for me at Southend, but Andy Scott came in and saved me from a year of misery.

“Coming to Brentford was a fresh start. I managed to score goals and play games. It is all water under the bridge now.

“Since I left Charlton at Brentford has been the most enjoyable and most fulfilling experience I have had in football. I would say this is the happiest I’ve been.”

MacDonald’s luxury 4x4 is an indication of the trappings that have come with his successful - but belated - return to the professional ranks.

Despite his highs and lows, he has maintained a career ratio of a goal in every two starts and continues to enjoy a renaissance, coming with his first goal from outside the box since spells at Ebbsfleet United and Crawley Town.

And last year’s brush with injury has served to remind him how quickly things can head in the opposite direction.

“Injury is the worst part of being a professional footballer, especially when your team is top of the league with seven or eight games to go and you can’t help to get them over the finish line,” he added.

“That left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth to be honest, because I’d started it and wasn’t able to finish it.

“I would have loved to have got to 20 goals as well and the chances I saw the guys getting in the last few games I reckon I would have done it.”

“My wife went through quite a bit during those five months I was injured. I took a lot of frustration out on her. People think it is easy being a footballer’s wife, but they take the brunt of it when it is not going well.

“She deserves a lot of credit for that. That said, when things are going well she’s soon out shopping with my credit card.”