Andrews takes on his first managerial role (Image: PA)
Andrews takes on his first managerial role (Image: PA)
Former Rovers midfielder Keith Andrews has been confirmed as the new head coach at Brentford.
Andrews succeeds Thomas Frank, who left to take charge of Tottenham Hotspur, in the hot seat at the GTech Community Stadium.
The 44-year-old joined the club last summer as set-piece coach and will now be the main man in the dugout as the Bees aim to build on their ninth-place finish in the Premier League.
Andrews previously held coaching roles at Sheffield United, MK Dons and the Republic of Ireland, where he was assistant manager to Stephen Kenny.
“Keith is a very good fit,” director of football Phil Giles told the club channels.
“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 and get better.”
Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton also departed Brentford this summer to join Frank at Tottenham.
On those vacancies, Giles added: “There’s been a lot of work going into what the team around Keith looks like. How do we take what we had last year and get better? That process is ongoing.
“We have to look at the blend of skills and experience. It’s an exciting project to have these roles open together.
“We’ll build it over time and learn about strengths and weaknesses. We’ll build it step by step and get the right balance.”
The Bees kick off the upcoming Premier League season with a trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, August 17.