Brentford have confirmed the appointment of Keith Andrews as their head coach. The 44-year-old steps up from his role as set-piece coach to take over from Thomas Frank, who joined Tottenham.
Andrews has no senior managerial experience but held coaching roles with MK Dons, the Republic of Ireland and Sheffield United before he joined Brentford last July. The move mirrors Brentford promoting Frank as Dean Smith’s successor in 2018, a jump the Dane made with tremendous success, although Frank had managed Brøndby and various Denmark youth teams.
Brentford’s director of football, Phil Giles, told the clubs’s website: “Keith is a very good fit. He gets on with everyone, he’s very open and he’s a learner. Keith is clear in what he wants, he’s detailed, and the players and staff like and respect him. He understands the players in the building and the way we’ve played and trained under Thomas Frank.
“Keith will bring his own evolution but isn’t starting from scratch, so hopefully we can make some quick progress. He’s a very good coach and has clear ideas about how he wants the team to improve. We were looking for somebody not just to maintain what we’ve been doing but actually try to get better.”
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Andrews won 35 Ireland caps during a career as a midfielder that included spells in the Premier League with Blackburn and West Brom. He described himself as humbled and honoured to get the job. “It’s an opportunity I feel I’m very capable of doing and ready to do,” he said.
Andrews said he intended to play “dynamic, relentless” but organised football and that it was a “massive advantage” to know the squad: “I’ve got a really good connection with the players. The ceiling is massive in terms of what we can achieve and I’ve got so much belief in them.”
Brentford continued to punch above their weight by finishing 10th in the Premier League in May and have signed the goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher from Liverpool. Their forward Bryan Mbeumo is close to joining Manchester United after scoring 20 league goals last season, although Brentford are holding out for more than United’s latest offer of £62.5m. The club captain Christian Nørgaard is expected to leave for Arsenal after a fee worth up to £15m was agreed.
