[1] A left back, Stanislaus joined First Division club Arsenal as a schoolboy and began an apprenticeship in 1985.
[3] He progressed sufficiently to sign his first professional contract in July 1986, but was released at the end of the 1986–87 season, without having made a first team appearance.
[3] Stanislaus joined Third Division club Brentford on trial in September 1987 and impressed sufficiently to be awarded a permanent contract one month later.
[4] He quickly broke into the team and made 41 appearances and scored two goals during the 1987–88 season,[5] which earned him a new two-year contract in April 1988.
[3] He had a memorable 1988–89 season, making a career-high 56 appearances and scoring two goals,[5] one of which came with a 40-yard "screamer" in a 2–2 League Cup first round draw with Fulham early in the campaign.