BRENTFORD manager Keith Andrews has appointed former Ireland teammate Damien Duff to his backroom team at the west London club.
The Bees were tipped to struggle last season after Andrews replaced Thomas Frank, who left to join Tottenham.
Yet despite the sale of key players Bryan Mbeumo, Yoann Wissa and Christian Norgaard, Andrews led Brentford to a joint-best Premier League finish of ninth in his first managerial role.
He has now added former Shelbourne manager Duff as a first-team coach as the Bees look to progress after missing out on Europe on the last day of the season.
“I’ve known Damien for a long time,” Andrews told the Brentford website.
“I’ve seen him up close throughout his coaching journey. We’ve been on courses together and worked together as coaches with the Republic of Ireland national team.
“Damien will bring experience, presence and a real level of detail to our coaching department. He will add to the great group we already have and I’m very pleased that he is joining us.”
Duff pedigree
Duff had an illustrious paying career, beginning at Blackburn Rovers where he won the League Cup in 2001/02.
After a move to Chelsea, he helped the Blues win two Premier League titles as well landing the League Cup again in 2004/05.
He went on to have spells with Newcastle and Fulham, reaching the Europa League Final with the Cottagers in 2009/10.
Duff, who scored eight goals in 100 appearances for Ireland, ended his club career with spells at Melbourne City in Australia and Dublin side Shamrock Rovers.
After coaching within the youth set-ups at both Rovers and Ireland, Duff took over as coach of Celtic’s reserves before being promoted to the first team under Neil Lennon.
He helped Lennon guide the Hoops to successive trebles before he and Andrews were appointed as coaches alongside Ireland manager Stephen Kenny in April 2020.
Two months later, he was appointed as head coach of Shelbourne’s under-17 side and focussed solely on that role after leaving the Ireland set-up in January 2021.
He was named the Reds’ first-team manager for the 2022 season and two years later led them to a first League of Ireland title in 18 years.
Duff, who stepped down as Shelbourne manager midway through the 2025 season, joins a burgeoning Irish coaching staff at Brentford.
Former Ireland under-21 international Kevin O’Connor is Andrews’ assistant at the Gtech Community Stadium, while Dubliner Stephen Rice is set-piece coach.
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