Aston Villa have appointed Dean Smith as their new manager. Here are five things to know about him-
1. Boyhood Aston Villa fan- Smith was born in West Bromwich and supported Villa when he was younger. Therefore, he already knows the club inside out and what it is like to support them.
2. His playing days- The 47 year-old was a centre-back and made 566 appearances in his career and played for the likes of Walsall, Hereford United, Leyton Orient, Sheffield Wednesday and Port Vale. He also managed an impressive 54 goals from defence.
3. Held various coaching roles- After retiring in 2005, Smith took up a youth coach role at Leyton Orient and was promoted to the position of assistant manager not long after under Martin Ling. He stayed there for four years before returning to Walsall as Head of Youth.
4. Did well at Walsall- Smith was then appointed manager in 2011 and steered the Saddlers away from relegation troubles in his first season. Then after a couple of solid mid-table finishes in the third tier, Smith guided Walsall to the Football League Trophy final in 2015 which was their first ever Wembley appearance.
5. Impressive at Brentford- He got his move to the Championship in November 2015 with the Bees. Brentford under Smith have been one of the most exciting sides to watch over the past two seasons and he has built an attractive and attacking side on a shoestring budget. The Bees have finished 10th and 9th in the past two campaigns and look a good bet to make the Play-Offs this time around.
