Brentford have today confirmed the appointment of Dean Smith as head coach.
Smith, who vacates the managerial role at Walsall to takeover at Griffin Park, succeeds Marinus Dijkhuizen who was sacked by the Bees at the end of September.
Lee Carsley has been in temporary charge of the team since then, and will take the reins for the final time this evening for the clash against Bolton Wanders. Smith will be joined by his assistant, Richard O'Kelly.
Co-Director of Football, Rasmus Ankersen, told the club’s website: "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."
