Damien Duff has joined Brentford as a coach and is already making an impact after the club's 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Former Shelbourne boss Keith Andrews, who added Duff to his staff over the summer, praised his drive, passion and personality.
The former Republic of Ireland international was appointed as Andrews’ number two and has settled straight into life at the west London club. Andrews said, “He’s got a lot of responsibilities - he’s my number two. He’s a magnificent coach, he’s brilliant support for me day-to-day. Someone I trust implicitly, someone who’s already built up a really good rapport with staff members and players.”
The two men have a shared history, having worked together on Stephen Kenny’s Ireland backroom team. Andrews added, “I just want Damien to be Damien really. I’ve known him a long, long time. Someone, again, who I trust. I love his personality, I love his drive, I love his passion and we’re working really, really well together with all of the other coaches.”
Stephen Rice, who took over Andrews’ duties as set-piece coach after Thomas Frank left for Tottenham, also praised the new set-piece rhythm. “We want to be unpredictable, we want to be able to create opportunities in different ways. Set pieces have been pretty well highlighted at this club. Look at the game we created far more opportunities than just from set pieces but I have to say set piece wise we’re in a really good groove at the moment, we do look really, really dangerous,” Rice said.
The 3-0 win over Tottenham was a statement start to Brentford’s Premier League campaign, with the team showing a high-intensity style that the new coaching staff is keen to maintain. Andrews highlighted that the club’s success is built on detail and craft, noting that Duff’s playing career is only a small part of what makes him a valuable coach.
As Brentford continue to integrate new coaching talent, the club’s leadership remains focused on creating a cohesive, dynamic environment that can compete at the highest level. The addition of Duff, along with the experience of Rice, is expected to strengthen the squad’s tactical versatility and set-piece threat for the remainder of the season.
