Damien Duff has already made an impression on Keith Andrews as he starts out in his new job as Assistant coach at Brentford.

The Republic of Ireland legend announced his return to football coaching earlier this summer after a year out of the game following his departure from Shelbourne.

He has joined up with his former Ireland teammate and Brentford boss Keith Andrews in the ever-growing Irish contingent at the West London club, with current Irish stars Nathan Collins and Caoimhin Kelleher.

The Bees are currently undergoing their pre-season preparations in Portugal, and speaking on the club’s YouTube channel, Andrews spoke about how ‘seamless’ Damien Duff’s integration into the squad has been.

‘I have a really good connection with Damien of 20+ years from when we played together. We’ve always been pretty close and friendly.

‘I had a lot of respect for him as a player, and then his coaching journey and how he’s stepped into that space. We did our pro licence together and coached together previously with Ireland. He’s someone that I know very, very well, someone that I trust implicitly.

‘I know what a good, good person he is. I knew that he’d fit into, initially, the coaching dynamic really well, and the effect he would have on the group. He’s fitted in seamlessly, and I’ve enjoyed being with him over the last few weeks.’

Brentford are looking to continue their rise and build on last season’s ninth-place finish in the Premier League, the highest since they came into the division in 2021.

They get their season underway at home against Tottenham Hotspur on August 22, with kick-off at 5:30 pm.