Thomas Frank: Brentford manager's journey from Denmark U17s to Premier League
- Published
Unknown in the UK when he first joined Brentford as assistant head coach in 2016, Thomas Frank is now on the verge of leading the club to their highest league finish in 85 years.
Before his arrival in London, however, the Dane had already spent 20 years developing his craft - and BBC Sport charts his rise from youth coach to Premier League boss.
Frank's journey began with the under-8s of his hometown club Frederiksvaerk, before he progressed to become coach of Denmark Under-17s, who he took to the 2011 European Championships.
During that tournament, Denmark beat hosts Serbia, France and an England team featuring Jordan Pickford and Raheem Sterling.
"He was always looking to improve and had a plan for every step of the way," said striker Lee Rochester Sorensen, who was part of that Denmark U17 side.
"Thomas always had a plan A, B and C, making it clear what was needed through the four phases of play, from our goalkeeper to our attackers - he'd tell us how to press our opponents and the reasons why."
Denmark had endured a nerve-wracking qualification campaign, only securing their place in the finals in their last match with a stoppage-time winner over Greece.
Rochester Sorensen was named on the bench for the opening game against Serbia - and good communication was clearly important to Frank.
"As a coach he was mindful of those disappointed at not making the starting XI," he said. "He'd call you into his office and explain the decision, while thanking you for your hard work.
"He was fair, too. If those starting didn't perform, he'd drop players - he demanded and expected a lot from us."
Prior to the match, Frank ran a light practice session to test his players' defensive prowess on set-pieces - and the boss showed he was not immune to losing his temper.
As a substitute, Rochester Sorensen was the first to test the defence with a free-kick, whipping the ball into the top corner. "The next guy put his free-kick in the top corner, too," he explained.
"Thomas went ballistic, saying 'I can still change the starting XI'. He could get angry even though he was a nice guy."
The young Dane wasn't sure if Frank expected his wall to jump higher or his goalkeeper to react faster, but what was clear was that Frank paid particular attention to the smallest of details when it came to attacking and defending set-pieces.
Denmark reached the tournament's semi-finals, when they eventually lost to Germany.
They also played in that year's Under-17s World Cup in Mexico, capping a successful, yet intense period, where the squad spent a lot of time together.
Having reached the semi-finals of the U17 European Championships, Frank's Denmark side failed to win a game at the U17 World Cup
It was the season Barcelona won their fourth Champions League title, with the famous line-up of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi.
"We'd watch a lot of these games together," said Rochester Sorensen. "Thomas would go crazy with excitement if one of those players did something special."
Frank continued with the Danish youth set-up until 2013, when he was offered a first-team coaching role at Danish Superliga giants Brondby. The club had not lifted the title since 2005, having won it six times between 1988 and 1998.
Viking Stavanger midfielder Martin Ornskov was not as familiar with Frank as his younger compatriots when he received a call asking him to join Brondby and help take the club back to the top.
Looking back, he believes Frank thought he could replicate what he did in youth football at Brondby.
"He made some mistakes at first," he said. "And at times he was a little soft."
These were the teething problems of a coach making the jump to senior football, with Ornskov recalling players occasionally overstepping the mark with tackles in training. In time, Frank put measures in place to show who was boss.
Training ended with small-sided games. If any team lost by five goals they would have to stay on for extra practice.
Frank spent nearly three years in charge of Brondby in the Danish top flight
Ornskov enjoyed Frank's collaborative approach.
"There were times when he'd discuss solutions with us during games," he said. "Far from seeing it as a weakness, I saw that as a strength."
The former Brondby midfielder wonders if that is part of the Danish mentality - when being told to do something is not sufficient if they are not told of the purpose behind doing so. His assessment? Most players loved him.
However, there was pressure on Frank to bring back the glory days to the club.
He would often talk of the process to change the club's fortunes, which saw some in the press make fun of him.
As far as they were concerned, Frank needed to forget any process and start winning. The Superliga title remained elusive, with Brondby finishing no higher than third during Frank's three seasons in charge.
Back then, could Ornskov see Frank coaching in the Premier League?
"I wasn't sure of that," he said. "I knew he'd be liked as a person and could evolve as a coach, but to work in the Premier League without having the experience or being a big name is a huge test.
"But the thing about Thomas was he was always so curious about football - he lived for the game. I saw a different coach at the end of my three years with him."
After joining Brentford as assistant head coach in December 2016, Frank replaced Dean Smith as the Bees' boss in October 2018 - and ended the club's top-flight exile via the play-offs in 2021.
Now further experienced still - and with his side in the shake-up for European qualification - Brentford supporters will no doubt be thrilled that Frank, 49, has distanced himself from the managerial vacancy at Tottenham.
The underlying suggestion is he believes there is more to achieve at Gtech Community Stadium.
If Frank's career trajectory over the years is anything to go by, that is very good news for the future of Brentford.
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