Brentford have this morning announced that Flemming Pedersen has now taken on the role of new Development Squad head coach.
He will be assisted in the role by Kevin O’Connor and he obviously joined us over the summer as Head of Football Philosophy and Player Development, working with all players and coaches throughout the levels at the club, but from today onwards he will take on responsibility for the development of our Under 21 players.
Holding the highest available coaching qualification – the UEFA Pro Licence, Flemming will be assisted by O’Connor who continues his own development as a coach and the changes have obviously come about following the promotion of Lee Carsley to first team duties prior to his departure from Griffin Park.
Rasmus Ankersen, Co-Director of Football told the Official Site.
‘When we brought Flemming to the Club we highlighted his experience as a coach. He has a lot of experience of developing and implementing a style of play that can run through the Club from top to bottom. He has worked with players and coaches from First Team level to our youngsters in the Academy and helped with the Development Squad when Lee Carsley was Head Coach. With Dean Smith and Richard O`Kelly now in place as Head Coach and assistant, the coaching structure at First Team level is working how we want. There is an important job to be done in helping our next generation of players making the step to the First Team from the Development Squad and the Academy. Flemming will bring more than 30 years of coaching experience to that role.’
Ankersen went on to add.
‘Kevin O`Connor has done a great job and demonstrated excellent potential as a coach, particularly when leading the Development Squad over the past few months. It is important that the Club supports the development of coaches as much as the development of players. We believe Kevin can learn from Flemming and improve as a coach working with him. Kevin will have an important role to play in developing future Brentford players and he will also represent the Club on visits to other clubs and organisations in order to improve his knowledge on the latest innovations in football, knowledge he will be able to share with our other coaches.’
Pedersen started coaching in Denmark aged 18 and worked in youth football for over a decade, before stepping up the position of head coach at FC Helsingør (Danish third tier) before he turned 30 and he has been involved in the professional game for more than 20 years in total – including spells at FC Copenhagen and eight years at FC Nordsjælland where he coached internationals like William Kvist, Nicklas Bendtner and Brentford central defender Andreas Bjelland when he was there. In his time as first team coach at the club they won two Danish Cups and one national title. Nordsjælland also reached the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2012 and having left them he moved to German side FSV Mainz 05 in 2014 before making the move to Griffin Park.
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