BRENTFORD HAD BEEN looking for a new assistant manager for pretty much all of last season.

The 42 understands that the Premier League club spoke to a number of candidates, stretching back more than nine months.

And then they met with Damien Duff.

The decision makers at Brentford viewed his very strong relationship with head coach Keith Andrews as helpful but by no means essential to the appointment.

What struck out most of all with the technical department when Duff interviewed for the job was that he is really focused on the key details in his coaching.

It sounds simple, but that clarity is what they believe makes Duff the perfect fit for Premier League level.

Nothing is left to chance.

Brentford just missed out on Europe last season, a target which director of football Phil Giles told The 42 in the early stages of the campaign was an achievable target.

With Duff backing up Andrews, they believe that next jump could be possible.

Duff’s presentation to the club highlighted to them that he has a very strong tactical understanding and clear beliefs in how he thinks a team should be set up.

When he was making these points, those in power at the club are said to have loved his honesty and that he isn’t afraid to give his opinion.

It is very much a collegiate approach at Brentford, and while those above Andrews in the structure accept that such forthright opinions risk being direct, the level of detail and clarity which Duff delivered allowed the club to end what had become a drawn-out search.

Duff visited Brentford’s training centre in west London in May, and he would have felt right at home straight away.

Not just because of the other Irish accents around the place, with set-piece coach Stephen Rice and key players Caoimhin Kelleher and Nathan Collins.

Their base is only a few miles from Heathrow Airport – handy for when he does need to get home to his family – and directly below the flight path.

Duff would have memories of playing in the AUL Complex beside Dublin Airport growing up, as well as early days with the Republic of Ireland.

A small, slightly nostalgic detail that wouldn’t have been lost on either Andrews or Duff.

But it is the chance to work in the Premier League for one of the most forward-thinking clubs in the division that proved too good to turn down.

Andrews invited Johnny Sexton and Paul McGinley to the Brentford training ground at various stages last season; former Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny also caught up with his old understudy.

Could this also be Duff’s first step towards a top job there?

His CV to this point has been varied, with work at youth level with Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne (Brentford have just been awarded a Category A Licence for their set-up after previously shutting it down) before linking up with Celtic and also that short spell on the senior Ireland coaching staff under Kenny alongside Andrews.

His work as first-team boss with Shelbourne, securing European football and a Premier Division title, highlighted the depth of quality in his work.

That emotional connection with players and fans also set him apart, and while he spoke of how the spark had fizzled out in driving the standards in the Shels’ dressing room, it’s clear he has it back again.

“It was amazing to see such a well-run club. It’s not rocket science, really, to see how well they’re doing from top to bottom,” Duff told Premier Sports about his visit to Brentford recently.

“Brilliant people, honest people, energy, enthusiasm, obviously real quality. It was so refreshing. The minute I walked into the building, I just thought to myself, wow.”

Brentford thought the same about him, too, and now he has another fascinating chapter in his coaching career to come.

Check out the latest episode of The 42′s Football Family podcast here