- Andrews promoted from his position as the club’s set piece coach.
- Former midfielder has not had the manager’s role before.
Brentford have confirmed Keith Andrews’ appointment as head coach. The 44-year-old goes up from set-piece coach to succeed Thomas Frank, who has joined Tottenham.
Andrews has no senior managing experience, but he has worked as a coach for MK Dons, the Republic of Ireland, and Sheffield United before joining Brentford last July. Brentford’s promotion of Frank as Dean Smith’s replacement in 2018 was a successful move for the Dane, who had previously managed Brøndby and junior teams in Denmark.
Brentford’s director of football, Phil Giles, told the club’s website, “Keith is an excellent fit. He gets along with everyone, is extremely open, and is eager to learn. Keith knows exactly what he wants, he is precise, and the players and staff admire and respect him. He is familiar with the players in the facility as well as the style of play and training we received from Thomas Frank.
“Keith will bring his own evolution, but he isn’t starting from scratch, so we should be able to make quick progress. He’s an excellent coach who knows exactly how he wants the club to progress. We were seeking someone who would not just continue what we were doing but would also strive to improve.”
Andrews received 35 caps for Ireland as a midfielder, including periods in the Premier League with Blackburn and West Brom. He portrayed himself as humble and honored to have gotten the job. “It’s an opportunity I feel I’m very capable of doing and ready to do,” according to him.
Andrews stated that he intends to play “dynamic, relentless,” but organized football and that knowing the group is a “huge advantage”: “I’ve got a really good rapport with the guys. The sky is the limit in terms of what we can accomplish, and I have complete faith in them.
Brentford ranked 10th in the Premier League in May and recently signed goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher from Liverpool. Brian Mbeumo, who scored 20 league goals last season, is close to joining Manchester United, while captain Christian Nørgaard is set to leave for Arsenal for a cost of up to £15 million.