He Was a First Season Flop, But Now He Looks Like a Ready Made Prem Striker

Igor Thiago: Brentford’s Next Breakout Bee

I was fortunate enough to witness Igor Thiago in the flesh recently. From his performance, you could’ve mistakenly assumed that the Brazilian had attended training in East London and not Southwest, as he knew exactly how to take advantage of West Ham’s timid backline.

As an honest Irons fan, I simply had to watch on with envy. Thiago is exactly the sort of striker that my own club has been crying out for since the Stone Age. His goalscoring form might eventually culminate in relegation-tipped Brentford not only surviving but pushing for a top-half finish.

Taking notes from the predecessors who stood before him, whether that be Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins or Neal Maupay, fruitful forwards defined the Thomas Frank era from Griffin Park to the GTech.

Now that Keith Andrews’ reign is in full swing, Thiago appears to be the shiny new poster boy in TW8, and in true Brentford style, his rise to Premier League stardom was far from conventional.

1-0 Brentford.

IGOR THIAGO HAS OPENED THE SCORE AWAY AGAINST WEST HAM UNITED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THIS IS HOW HE CELEBRATES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO WHOLESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EbkvuTgeCb

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 20, 2025

Bricklaying and Serie B

Thiago’s rise to the top should not come as a surprise to anyone. The 24-year-old not only put in hard work on the pitch, but off it too, balancing academy football and supporting his widowed mother and siblings. This meant working multiple jobs, whether it was carrying fruit, laying bricks, or handing out flyers.

It was this discipline and work ethic that would see him eventually move to Europe, but before then, Thiago plied his trade for roughly two years in Brazil’s Serie B. Thiago came fresh out of the blocks as a Cruzeiro academy graduate, making over 60 first-team appearances in his home nation’s second tier between the ages of 18 and 20.

Five goals in eight matches ⚽️

Igor Thiago is enjoying an excellent start to the season 👏 pic.twitter.com/7YDISCgpoa

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 20, 2025

From Bulgaria to Bruges

Consecutive 14-time Bulgarian champions, Ludogrets, took a chance with the Brazilian youngster. Thiago was playing out of the spotlight in Serie B, which was enough to keep him hidden from scouts attending more attractive leagues. This was the beginning of a rapid journey that would see Thiago jump from the Bulgarian First League to the Premier League in the space of two years.

He was initially drafted into the Ludogorets B team, which played in a lower division, in a move that would see the Brazilian adapt to the Bulgarian game. Thanks to a rapid start to life at his new club, twelve days after making his debut for Ludogrets II, Thiago was scoring for the first team in a high-stakes clash with CSKA Sofia.

A year passed, and Thiago had won two league titles and scored 21 goals in 55 games for Ludogrets, including two in the Conference League against Belgian side Anderlecht. Inspired by his form against their title rivals, Club Brugge were the team to step up and sign the 6’3” centre forward.

🇧🇷🗣️ Brentford striker Igor Thiago on his time at Ludogorets: "When I moved to Bulgaria, the people were a bit colder and not as warm as we are in Brazil so that was a big cultural difference. Also, the weather because it’s very cold there!"

"In Bulgaria, the football was more… pic.twitter.com/1sh1kQStcn

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 9, 2025

Thiago’s time in West Flanders was short and sweet, lasting a single season before a certain Premier League club came calling. The 2023/24 season was the spell that solidified Thiago’s highly skilled abilities as a well-rounded, consistent striker. He played 55 games in a single season, scoring a whopping 29 goals, which included seven in the Conference League on Club Brugge’s run to the semi-finals.

Brentford could hardly wait to secure his services, penning a deal in February 2024 that broke records for both parties as the most expensive Belgian Pro League departure and Brentford signing to date (€38 million). Thiago finished the season with Brugge before jetting over to southwest London to play for his third club in less than three years.

New Head Coach, Fresh Clean Slate

Thiago arrived at Brentford for the first time in June 2024, but within a month, his season already looked to be quashed. During a pre-season friendly against AFC Wimbledon, he sustained a meniscus injury, which would keep him out of action until the end of November.

Shortly after recovering, he faced a joint infection, an extremely unlucky moment for the Brazilian, which saw him sidelined until May. This meant that at the end of his first season in England, the man who was meant to be Brentford’s main character had made a single start, playing 169 minutes in total, all of them goalless. Had Thiago simply become part of the ensemble?

To describe Thiago’s first year as a flop is totally unfair; after all, he had hardly played due to reasons out of his control. Even Brentford had little reason to suspect the forward would face such a harsh injury, as he had hardly missed a game his entire career up until his Premier League arrival.

🇬🇧 Premier League Strikers: Goal conversion %

◉ 42.86% — Nick Woltemade (Newcastle, 23)
◎ 40.00% — Igor Thiago (Brentford, 24)
◎ 37.50% — Erling Haaland (Man City, 25)
◎ 33.33% — Hugo Ekitiké (Liverpool, 23)
◎ 33.33% — Donyell Malen (Aston Villa, 26)

📊… pic.twitter.com/ZAS9Uy4xmI

— DataMB (@DataMB_) October 20, 2025

Fortunately for Thiago, the managerial change at the Bees has not affected his playing time. Andrews had arrived in London at the same time as Thiago to become Brentford’s set-piece coach. The Irish manager had therefore worked with the Brazilian aplenty and knew that he was still the man to lead the line for the South West London outfit. It was the confidence Thiago needed to become the monster he has become in recent months.

Seven goals in 10 games, six in nine in the league, and second only to the inimitable Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race? That's what I call coming back with a bang. It is clear to see that despite his nine-month lay-off, Thiago has lost none of the killer instinct in front of goal, and with his fitness becoming more reliable game by game, Brentford will fancy their chances against almost anyone as long as the Brazilian is in the starting lineup.

Currently averaging a goal every 111 minutes, Thiago is making up for lost time and, by doing so, is already gaining attention from larger European greats. The 24-year-old has never stuck around for long, as those higher up in the food chain have soon caught onto the Thiago hype.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are the teams currently lining up moves for the Brazilian. Thomas Frank was, of course, the man who brought Thiago to England and is clearly one of his biggest plaudits, making Spurs a fitting destination for the hotshot.

The story of Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues (one mouthful of a name) highlights the player’s resilience to craft a career in the professional game from unwelcoming beginnings, and bounce back from a career-threatening injury.

Powerful, clinical, and unbreakable, Brentford’s number nine has spent enough time watching from the medical room. Back and better than ever, ladies and gentlemen, it's Thiago time.