Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell feels the Grecians are getting a better Ryan Trevitt than the one they had before after the midfielder returned to Devon for a second loan spell from Premier League side Brentford.

The 21-year-old scored five goals in 23 appearances at the start of last season after joining the Grecians on loan from the Bees, but his time at the club was cut short when he picked up a nasty injury in a 2-0 defeat at Cambridge United.

Now fully rehabilitated, Trevitt has made three appearances for the Bees this season, but needing games, he has taken up the chance of a return to Devon to link up with Caldwell and Exeter once more.

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“He is obviously a player that has been here before and performed exceptionally well when he was here,” Caldwell said. “I have kept in touch with him and every time I speak with Brentford, I always ask what Ryan is doing because he’s such a good footballer.

“His experiences before, the supporters’ connection with him and what he did here was special and I think we have got an even better player in terms of him going back to Brentford, he has played a few games for them and is more mature. We are absolutely thrilled to bring him back. It’s a really big signing for us and someone that will impact the squad in a positive way.

“As I said, I have always asked Brentford about him, I have text Ryan back and forth and spoke to him since he’s been away and played games for Brentford. His career has been progressing, but he has not had enough game time there and he wanted game time, he wanted to come out and play and what better than to come somewhere where he is loved, where he knows how we work and the role we want to give him. He has always flourished in that role and I am sure he can do it again.”

The Grecians have a good relationship with the Bees with winger Tony Yogana also on-loan from the club, while defender Tristan Crama spent the first half of the season at Exeter before being recalled and sold to Millwall in a £1.5 million deal. Speaking of the link-up, Caldwell said: “I went to Brentford for a day when I was first here, watched their training and spoke to lots of different people at the club and my personal link is Steven Pressley, who is the individual coach within Brentford.

“I have known him from my playing days and speak with him regularly, but then, I have connections now with David Langridge, the loan manager, and Lee Dykes and I think the big thing is that they trust us with their players. They know the environment that we have here, they know we look after their players and help them and develop their players to the level they want them to be, so it’s a good connection and we want that to continue with another positive loan with Tony and now Ryan as well.”

Speaking about making the move, Trevitt said: "It feels so great and I'm buzzing to be back. I can't wait to play again, pull on that shirt and see all the fans. It was so disappointing getting injured the first time round and I feel like I'm coming back with a point to prove, and to finish what I've started here.

"There were so many highlights, like against Middlesbrough, and hopefully I can do the same again, scoring goals from midfield and getting the team ticking. I really enjoyed it here last time, and playing under the manager, and I can't wait to get going. It just felt right when I knew there was interest again."

However, while Trevitt’s arrival is a boost for Exeter, it is defenders that they so desperately need with Pierce Sweeney, Johnly Yfeko and Jack Fitzwater out and Crama having long since departed. With the transfer window shutting on Monday, it promises to be a busy few days at St James Park.

“We are quite close to one and working hard on others,” Caldwell said. “We are still looking, we are still working and the January transfer window is always changing, you are always having to be adaptable within it, so we will do that right up until the end of the window.

“We are still desperately trying to get two more players in and potentially more. It’s clear that we need a defender, we probably need two defenders if we can, because we are so depleted at the moment through injury and we need to get reinforcements in and quality ones at that, so we are working hard to do that.”

Asked if his side had suffered ‘bad luck’ with injuries all in one position, Caldwell said: “I don’t really believe in luck, I believe in trying to do things right. When you get injuries, it is part and parcel of football and when they come in the same area, it really impacts the team, so maybe because of the area of the team and how many there are in that area it is a little bit down to luck, but we do our best to try and control that an d we have to look at why we have had so many.

“It is a problem right across football at the moment with injuries, we are not the only team that is suffering and we have to work harder to keep players fitter for longer.”