Keith Andrews says Ray Lewington and Roy Hodgson have both helped him through his first season as Brentford head coach, with the Bees boss also crediting wider support behind the scenes.
Keith Andrews has opened up on the experienced figures helping him through his first season as Brentford head coach, revealing that both Ray Lewington and Roy Hodgson have been regular sources of advice as he settles into the job.
Ahead of Monday night's fixture against Wolves, Andrews spoke with Sky Sports as part of an exclusive Q&A saying he has leaned on people inside and outside football while navigating the step up from set-piece coach to Premier League head coach.
Lewington and Hodgson in the background
The most striking part of Andrews’ answer was how openly he spoke about the help he has received. He said he has “a lot of friends that are very experienced in the game” and described Lewington as “a pretty frequent visitor to the training ground”. Andrews added that Lewington has been “brilliant” and said the former England assistant’s experience has been “a nice comfort blanket”. He also named Hodgson as another trusted figure, saying the former Crystal Palace and England manager has been in “on a few occasions” and is “always in the background with words of wisdom”.
Publicly, Brentford have presented the promotion from within as a continuation of the club’s model after Thomas Frank’s departure. Andrews’ comments suggest the process has also involved a quieter layer of guidance from senior figures he trusts. He added that he has also turned to “a couple of business mentors” for advice on staff dynamics, saying that whether someone is “a banker or a footballer or a coach”, the core challenge remains “just dealing with people”. First season pressures and growth.
The wider interview made clear why that support has mattered. Andrews said he has “loved every minute” of his first campaign, but he also spoke about the scale of the demands. He pointed to the challenge of managing a large group of players and staff every day, describing that as one of the biggest learning curves of the job.
Those comments fit the picture Brentford have projected for much of the season. Andrews has repeatedly stressed continuity and collective work over any idea of a dramatic personal overhaul. Also mentioning that one of the key aims after replacing Frank was to maintain the “positive environment” already in place at the club, while still trying to “enhance it”. With Brentford still pushing in the top half and Andrews recently signing a new long-term contract, the sense of stability has matters.