Keith Andrews: Brentford's Rising Star as Head Coach

Keith Andrews arrived at Brentford as the set-piece specialist. He now looks like the man who might turn them into regular European contenders.

The former Blackburn and West Brom midfielder, capped 35 times by the Republic of Ireland, has taken a winding route to the Premier League hot seat. He learned the trade alongside Karl Robinson at MK Dons, then stepped into international football as Stephen Kenny’s assistant with Ireland’s U21s and senior side. A spell with Chris Wilder followed at Sheffield United, before Brentford brought him in as set-piece coach in 2023.

Nobody expected what came next.

When Thomas Frank agreed to join Tottenham in the summer of 2025, Brentford looked outside, weighed up the market, then turned inward. They handed the job to Andrews. A promotion from within, a set-piece coach to head coach. It raised eyebrows across the league.

The noise did not last long.

Andrews quickly dragged Brentford away from any relegation chatter, steering them to a ninth-place finish last season. Europe slipped away in agonising fashion, but the mood around the club has shifted. Those places are no longer a dream. They are a target.

He is now tied to a long-term contract through to 2032. On current evidence, the question is not whether Brentford will stick with him, but how long they can keep him away from the division’s heavyweights.

Former Bees striker Clinton Morrison, a close friend of Andrews, has watched the rise at close quarters. Speaking to GOAL via Freebets.com, he did not bother to play it down.

“Amazing, amazing, amazing,” Morrison said. “I think Brentford have a chance of, even this season, getting them outside spots of Europe. They missed out last season. And they could win a cup.”

The squad building backs up the ambition. Morrison met Andrews at the recent Birmingham-Brentford game and left impressed by the depth and balance.

“I just think Keith's done a fantastic job. He's got two players in every position,” he said.

One name stands out for him: Mamadou Sangare.

“The boy who they signed, [Mamadou] Sangare, he could have easily gone to any of the top four teams. I think he's a special talent. He went to Brentford. He likes their project and they’ve got a good signing.”

Up front, experience and competition have been hard-wired into the group.

“He's got Callum Wilson’s experience - puts pressure on Thiago,” Morrison noted. “[Jaidon] Anthony, who they signed from Burnley, started the season well - puts pressure on [Dango] Ouattara, Kevin Schade, competition.”

Even big-money arrivals are not guaranteed a shirt.

“They signed [El Hadji Malick] Diouf for 40 million from West Ham - can't get a game at the moment. Keane Lewis-Potter has been outstanding. So they have a lot of good players there at Brentford.”

That strength underpins Morrison’s admiration for the job his friend has done in turbulent circumstances.

“Considering last season, the players that they lost and losing Thomas Frank, everyone thought Brentford might get relegated,” he said. “He's done a great job. And this season, they started ever so well. Huge credit to Keith. And if he carries on going like that, there'll be a lot of other clubs higher up sniffing around him, for sure.”

From set-piece coach to one of the most talked-about young managers in the league, Andrews has forced his way onto the radar. The real battle for Brentford may soon be not just for Europe, but to keep hold of the man who put it within reach.