Brentford believe they are on the right path with Dean Smith at the helm as well as Richard O'Kelly and Thomas Frank as his assistants.

The coaching team have all agreed a one year extension, keeping them at the club until 2020.

The Bees are 10th in the Championship, four points shy of the play-offs and co director of football Rasmus Ankersen believes the three extending their stay will keep the club moving forward.

He said: “We have been pleased to see the progress the team has made this season. We strongly believe that we are on the right path, and with the new contracts for Dean, Richard and Thomas we can now continue the hard work with stability in key coaching positions.

“At Brentford it is not about the individuals, it is about the team and the togetherness we need to compete in a very tough league.

“In Dean, Richard and Thomas we believe we have a very strong coaching team who complement each other very well.

“Dean is not just a strong leader, but also a real team player who buys into Brentford’s way of doing things.

“His man management skills have been critical to the progress the Club has made and we believe Dean will be a key component in achieving our ambitions in the years to come.

“Thomas has now been with us for a bit more than a year, and he has brought to the table exactly what we hoped he would – a lot of attention to detail and an extensive experience in developing a clear style of play.

Thomas Frank

“Richard is an experienced coach who has a lot to offer, not only in terms of his knowledge of the English game, but also in terms of his understanding of how a good team works together and interacts.”

Fellow co-director of football Phil Giles hailed their abilities in developing young talent as one of their key characteristics.

He said: "One of the most important aspects of keeping the club competing in the Championship is being able to bring in young players and work with them to develop them as players and as people.

“That is important for the players, important for both first team and B Team and important for the financial stability of the club.

“All three of our coaches are very good at developing and improving players. We believe that they can help us continue to improve our league position and attract a new generation of young players to Brentford in future."

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