Who is Keith Andrews, Brentford’s new manager replacing Thomas Frank?
After long-serving coach Thomas Frank’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford has promoted set-piece coach Keith Andrews, who has no prior managerial experience, to the top post.
The London side has been a regular in elevating from within, with each of its last five promotion-winning managers promoted from inside the club’s setup.
Andrews, who made 35 appearances for Ireland, began his coaching career as assistant manager at MK Dons, where he finished playing in 2015 before joining the Ireland Under-21 set-up as assistant coach to Stephen Kenny.
Kenny became manager of Ireland’s senior side in 2020, taking Andrews with him, where they both remained until Kenny’s contract ended three years later, but Andrews found himself newly employed in a matter of weeks.
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Andrews joined Sheffield United’s coaching staff when Chris Wilder took over in December 2023, with the Irishman leaving at the end of the season to take up his role at Brentford.
“He is someone we have known for a while and always had in mind for a role at some point in the future,” Brentford Director of Football Phil Giles said at the time of the appointment.
While Frank took assistant first-team coach Justin Cochrane, head of athletic performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton with him to Spurs, Andrews remained at Brentford, a clue perhaps to his future at the club.
(Inputs from Reuters)
