Brentford FC are delighted to announce the appointment of Dean Smith as Head Coach.

In almost five years as a manager, Dean has carved a reputation for building sides who play attractive football and has turned Walsall into serious promotion candidates on a relatively low budget. Dean will be joined at Griffin Park by his assistant, Richard O'Kelly.

Co-Director of Football, Rasmus Ankersen, said: "We believe Dean is exactly the authentic and strong leader we need to take Brentford forward and ultimately into the Premier League.

“We have been hugely impressed by Dean’s work at Walsall and especially how he has managed to turn a club with such a low budget into one pushing for promotion.

"It is a similar challenge to the one Brentford face. We can’t win by spending more money than our competitors so we have to identify competitive edges which will allow us to compete with clubs who enjoy much bigger budgets.

"In that respect Dean is a great fit to Brentford FC. The job is not just about being an experienced and intelligent football coach. More than anything, it is about being able to lead the staff and bring the best out of highly qualified experts as well as the players."

In welcoming Dean and Richard, the Club would like to put on record its sincere thanks to Lee Carsley who has done an outstanding job during his time in charge of the side.

When Lee stepped into the role of Head Coach, he made it clear he did not want the job on a full-time basis.

Having taken over in difficult circumstances, Lee restored confidence both on the pitch and at the training ground. Four back-to-back wins during October saw him named the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month, an honour he richly deserved.

Lee's crucial work has helped provide the stability the Club needed while it searched for a permanent Head Coach. Although he is stepping down, Lee will remain at Griffin Park until the end of December as part of the transition process. Everybody at the Club is grateful for his dedication and hard work.

Chairman Cliff Crown added: "We're delighted to welcome Dean and Richard to Brentford. We're all convinced they can build on the excellent work Lee put in on the training ground and in terms of results."