Brentford's rise 'not finished yet' - Andrews

"My journey has not been straightforward, far from it, especially in those earlier years."

Those are the words of Keith Andrews, who, after making a combined 84 Premier League appearances for Wolves, Blackburn and West Brom between 2003 and 2012, is now settling into his second season in charge of Brentford as a Premier League boss.

From starting his coaching journey with MK Dons in 2015, it took the Ireland international 10 years to become a top-flight manager.

"I went on a journey to try to be a head coach, but that wasn't straightforward," Andrews told The Football Interview.

"That journey was longer than anticipated, but I am a lot calmer and calculated than I was when I was a young man.

"Football was my passion since being a young, young child."

Playing his junior football in the Dublin District Schoolboy League, second tier Wolves identified Andrews as a target.

And after deliberating over what side to join, at 15-years-old, the young midfielder travelled over the Irish Sea to make Wolverhampton his new home.

"My mother was very against it," Andrews explained. "She wanted me to finish my education and go to university. All the men in the family wanted me to pursue my dream."

Although Andrews had left his hometown of Artane, near Dublin, he was comforted by fellow international Robbie Keane joining him in the midlands.

"We had a huge Irish contingent at Wolves," says Andrews. "The league [Dublin District Schoolboy League] was so competitive, we were playing competitions against Man Utd and European teams. We would go toe to toe."

After being heavily tipped to experience a tough debut season as Brentford boss, Andrews proved the doubters wrong with an aggressive style of play, and he was able to guide the club to a ninth-place finish at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

"I've been here a long, long time. We want the noise. We're not finished yet," he adds.

"It is keeping that hunger and desire going into the next chapter where I think we will be better."

From extinguishing the noise, Andrews now welcomes high expectations going into the 2026-27 season.

Listen to Andrews above or watch on BBC iPlayer here

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