Dean Smith watched Brentford from the stands at the Macron Stadium last night after being appointed the club's new manager just hours earlier.

The former Walsall manager replaces Marinus Dijkhuizen at the helm following his sacking in September and saw his new charges claim a point against Bolton.

Lee Carsley had been in charge on an interim basis but preferred not to continue in the role until the end of the season, signing off with a respectable result in Lancashire.

His decision to step down sparked the search for a new boss but what do we know about the man chosen to lead Brentford forward? Here's all the key facts and figures about the new Bees chief and a few obscure ones you can impress your mates with!

Staying power

Long-lasting: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Only three managers in the entire Football League have been at their respective clubs longer than Dean Smith had been in charge at Walsall.

His near five-year spell at the Bescot Stadium places him behind Karl Robinson of MK Dons, Paul Tisdale of Exeter City and Premier League stalwart Arsene Wenger.

Smith would certainly never have thought he would be up there with that trio when he took was initially appointed as caretaker in January 2011.

Wembley landmark

Wembley Stadium
Home of football: Wembley Stadium

Brentford have had their fair share of Wembley heartbreak in recent years and Smith knows that feeling all too well.

He led Walsall to their first big day out under the arch earlier this year as they reached the final of the Football League Trophy.

They were beaten 2-0 in their first appearance at the national stadium but the achievement of reaching Wembley will live long in the memory for the supporters.

Artist on and off the pitch

Paintbrush at the ready: Smith once painted the dressing rooms at Leyton Orient

Do the dressing rooms at Griffin Park need a bit of a face-lift?

Well, if they could do with a bit of a spruce up then the club could do worse than let the new gaffer work his magic with a brush.

He once gave the changing area at Leyton Orient a lick of paint during his time as assistant manager at Brisbane Road.

Beating the drop

Brentford's new boss: Dean Smith

Things looked bleak for Walsall when Smith replaced Chris Hutchings in January 2011.

Rock bottom and eight points adrift when he took over, the Saddlers survived on the final day by finishing a point clear of the drop zone.

It was a remarkable turnaround for a club that looked certain to taste relegation.

Blast from the past

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Edward Heath was Prime Minister on the day Smith was born (March 19, 1971).

Hot Love by T. Rex was number one in the charts.

Ah, memories...

Keeping good company

Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane speaks to the media after a training session at the FAI National Training Centre, Dublin
Fiery: Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane learnt alongside Smith

A UEFA Pro Licence course will cost you upwards of £7,000 but that money buys you some good contacts.

When Smith went in search of his top badge in 2008, he was working so alongside classmates such as Roy Keane and Brendan Rodgers.

Let’s just hope he’s picked up some of Keano’s legendary fire and Brendan’s football philosophy.

Ginger Mourinho

Special One: Jose Mourinho manager of Chelsea looks on prior to the Capital One Cup tie

We’ve all heard Gary Megson called it, even Burnley boss Sean Dyche, but there’s only one real Ginger Mourinho and that’s Smith.

The two locked horns in the Capital One Cup earlier this season but Chelsea’s Special One triumphed 4-1 at the Bescot.

Mourinho, though, was full of praise for Walsall’s approach, saying: “I have years of cups in this country and I haven't found a team in League One playing the quality of football that Walsall tried to play.

"I was surprised with the quality of their play. They are a different team to normal in League One - not so physical, but technically fast. They were very well organised.”

Syllable count

He is one of eight Football managers to have one syllable in their first and last names.

Want to know who he shares that honour with?

Of course you do! Here we go: Sean Dyche, Keith Hill, John Still, Mark Hughes, Keith Curle, Paul Cook, Mark Yates.

Shouting the odds: Sean Dyche gestures

Birthday boy

He shares a birthday with some famous sporting names.

Andy Sinton, Alessandro Nesta, Kolo Toure, Brad Jones and the horse Kauto Star were all born on March 19.

Brentford fans will be hoping his achievements at Griffin Park are more Nesta than Toure, I’m sure!

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Swinging the axe

Sometimes you have got to be ruthless and Smith typified that after keeping Walsall up in his first season in charge.

No less than 14 players were shown the door that summer as he cleared the decks in the West Midlands.

Darren Byfield, Jonny Brain, Clayton McDonald, Paul Marshall, Matt Richards, Steve Jones, Aaron Lescott, David Bevan, Julian Gray, and Tom Williams were among those to be released.

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