What Thomas Frank first said when he landed Brentford job in EFL as Spurs move is sealed | OneFootball

The Danish manager has left the Bees after nearly a decade with the club, seven years of which were as head coach

The emergence of Brentford as a Premier League mainstay is almost all down to Thomas Frank, and after nearly a decade at the club, he has moved on to new pastures.

The 51-year-old has become the new manager at Tottenham Hotspur, putting an end to a near-seven-year stint as Brentford boss, which itself was the third-longest current managerial run in England's top four tiers.

Brentford was the club which introduced Frank to English football, having been appointed as an Assistant Head Coach to then-manager Dean Smith in December 2016. When Smith left Griffin Park to take on a role at Aston Villa, Frank was promoted to Head Coach.

The Bees were seventh when Frank took over, and his first interview at the club outlined his clear plans and aspirations whilst in the Brentford dugout. It's safe to say that he achieved these and created plenty of memories during his time there.

Thomas Frank's first words as Brentford manager, nearly seven years on

Thomas Frank spoke to the club media following his promotion from assistant to head coach in October 2018. The Bees had just drawn 1-1 with Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United at Elland Road, and were seventh in the Championship.

He stressed that the importance of being hired mid-season wouldn't be a massive issue, as he had already become acquainted with English football and the Brentford system during his time as part of Dean Smith's staff.

"We have a solid foundation, and we're ready to take that next step. It's a big advantage for me already being there for two years," he said.

On the club's form at the time, he added: "I think we started the season really well, and if we can keep that level, then our future looks really bright and promising.

"There's massive scope for improvement, and we'll be looking to push the club to the next level.

"I think, offensively, we are one of the best teams in the league, and we can open up every opponent, but we will look to be better in break-throughs and counter attacks and do things with more intensity and determination."

Frank's Brentford were, indeed, one of the top attacking outputs in the Championship, and were the top scorers outside the sides in the top six in his first season in charge at Griffin Park.

And in the next two seasons, they were the league's top scoring side. They may have fallen short in the play-offs in 20219/20, but the season after the inevitable happened, and Brentford were a top-flight side for the first time in 74 years, all under Thomas Frank.

Thomas Frank will go down in history as a Brentford legend

Any manager who brought Brentford to the promised land after nearly 75 years of hurt would be heralded as a legend, but the fact that the Bees are about to embark on a fifth successive top-flight campaign further solidifies Thomas Frank as a Brentford icon.

Barring a slight blip in the 2023/24 season (and even then they finished 13 points clear), the Bees haven't positionally flirted with relegation at all in their four seasons in the Premier League, and despite their small stature, they've been able to compete with the league's big boys.

Additionally, there has been a plethora of attacking talent which Frank has developed at Brentford. The emergence of the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Bryan Mbuemo, just to name a few, have become top quality attackers under the tutelage of Frank and co.

For Brentford now, once the sentimentality has left, it's all about ensuring that they make the right decision on whom to get next. The Premier League is shaping up to be incredibly competitive next season, and they would hate to undo all the positive work seen under Thomas Frank.