The Republic of Ireland Men’s Under 21s assistant coach Stephen Rice has left his position to take up the role of set-piece coach at Brentford in the Premier League, joining Keith Andrews’ backroom staff, according to the club.
Keith Andrews' first taste of Premier League management got off to a rough start, last weekend, as Brentford fell to a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the season.
Two goals from Chris Wood and a Dan Ndoye strike put Forest 3-0 up in the first half, with Thiago Rodrigues’ 78th minute penalty a mere consolation.
It was a difficult first league start for Brentford for former Liverpool and Ireland number one goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, and a tough opening day for captain Nathan Collins, who has been linked to moves away from the club in recent days.
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Stephen Rice Lands Key Role In Keith Andrews' Backroom Staff At Brentford
On Friday morning, Brentford announced the appointment of Stephen Rice as set-piece coach. The position was formerly held by Keith Andrews before his appointment as head coach, in June.
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In a club statement, Keith Andrews expressed his delight to be working together again with Rice. The two worked together with the senior international team, as Rice served as opposition analyst and head scout under Stephen Kenny for three years. Andrews said:
The process to appoint the set-piece coach was very thorough - we interviewed people of different nationalities, of different levels of experience, and in different roles.
Stephen is someone that I’ve known a long time, we were on our Pro License together, and I was a big part of bringing him into the Irish set-up when I was assistant manager and he was with Palace. He had a particular focus on set-pieces in that role.
He’s a detail-oriented coach, who is very passionate and has a phenomenal work ethic. I’m very pleased he is with us.
Stephen Rice was appointed assistant coach to Jim Crawford with the U21s team, in 2024. The news was received well by Crawford, who said, "Stephen leaves with our sincere thanks for his hard work and dedication and we wish him all the very best for the future."
Rice’s playing career was focused in Ireland, playing for the likes of Bohemians under Stephen Kenny, Shamrock Rovers, where he helped them win two league titles, and Longford Town. Rice also enjoyed a 12-month spell as a coach with Crystal Palace's Under 23s in 2020, before he linked up with Kenny and Andrews in 2021.
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Rice is expected to take up the role with immediate effect. Brentford face Aston Villa on Saturday at 3pm at Gtech Stadium, where Andrews will be hoping for a tighter affair the league opener at the City Ground.
Meanwhile, Ireland U21s are due to begin their European Championship qualifying campaign, beginning away to Moldova on September 4th.
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