Brentford have announced MarinusDijkhuizen as their new head coach who previously spent his coaching career in Excelsior Rotterdam and decided to leave his post with the Eredivisie club. Dijkhuizen succeeded Mark Warburton whose contract as Bees manager was not renewed. Warburton led the Bees to promotion from League One last year but was told in February he would not be retained at the end of the campaign. And after Warburton’s contract finished on May 30, Brentford announced the arrival of Dijkhuizen.

Dijkhuizen will be assisted by Roy Hendriksen, who joins the club from Dutch side NEC.Dijkhuizen, whose experience of British football extends to a 10-game loan spell at Dunfermline as a player in 2000-01, will work with directors of football RasmusAnkersen and Phil Giles.

“I am proud to be the new head coach of Brentford FC. I have been to Brentford FC once before, with my father and brother, to see a game against Coventry City in March 2014,” told the 43-year-old Dutch. “We stood on the terrace behind the goal and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of football. There was some very good play. We also loved the ambiance in and around the stadium. That is football at its best. I am looking forward to working with everyone at the club for a bright future.”
Dijkhuizen took over as manager of Excelsior in January 2014 and led the side to 15th place in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, although they ended the campaign without a win in nine games.A former striker, he had two spells as a player with the Rotterdam-based club and also spent time on loan at Dunfermline.

Dijkhuizen is charged with taking Brentford to the Premier League under a new management and recruitment structure to assess and develop player performance. As an addition, Bees owner Benham has decided to change the club’s management structure, with their future recruitment set to be based more on mathematical modelling and statistics It will mean the head coach will work closely with new sporting directors RasmusAnkersen and Phil Giles, who were appointed last month.
Owner Matthew Benham believes Dijkhuizen is a key piece in the club’s restructuring. “The appointment of the new head coach was a very important part of the restructure of the football management we have been undertaking,” Benham said.

“We wanted someone who could share our vision for the future of Brentford FC. We want to be an innovative club in everything we do and having a head coach who thinks in that way was very important,” added Benham.