Damien Duff joins Brentford as first-team assistant coach

Damien Duff is heading back to the top flight of English football. The former Irish international winger has been confirmed as Brentford’s new first-team assistant coach, linking up with head coach Keith Andrews.

From Shelbourne to west London

Duff stepped down as manager of League of Ireland club Shelbourne before the 2026 season.

He visited Brentford’s training facility in early May 2026, spending three to four days embedded with the club’s setup. The confirmation of his appointment followed in late May or early June 2026.

Keith Andrews, Brentford’s head coach for the 2025-26 Premier League season, is a former teammate of Duff’s from their days with the Republic of Ireland national team.

A coaching career that’s been quietly impressive

Duff’s path into coaching started in earnest at Celtic, where he served as first-team coach from 2019 to 2020.

His departure from Celtic in 2020 led to a role as assistant manager with the Republic of Ireland national team, where he worked from 2020 to 2021.

After leaving the Irish setup, Duff took the plunge into management with Shelbourne in the League of Ireland.

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