Monday 30 November 2015 16:44, UK
Walsall have announced their disappointment at manager Dean Smith's decision to leave the club and join Brentford as head coach.
The two clubs have confirmed the 44-year-old has left the Bescot Stadium to take over at Griffin Park.
Sky sources reported earlier on Monday that Smith had agreed a deal to take over at the Bees after the Saddlers were approached on Saturday.
It has also been confirmed that Smith's assistant manager Richard O'Kelly will also be moving with him.
Former Cheltenham, Carlisle and Colchester boss John Ward, along with Jon Whitney and Neil Cutler, will take temporary charge of the Saddlers.
And Brentford have announced that interim boss Lee Carlsey will leave the club altogether at the end of December.
Saddlers chairman Jeff Bonser said: "We are disappointed to lose Dean. We categorically did not want him to leave this football club and did all we could to keep him.
"He has been fantastic for Walsall and, in turn, we have been fantastic for him. We gave him his opportunity in management and believed in him throughout his tenure. We thank him, and Richard O'Kelly, for their hard work and efforts. However, we now have to look to the future."
Brentford co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen said: "We believe Dean is exactly the authentic and strong leader we need to take Brentford forward and ultimately to the Premier League.
"We have been hugely impressed by Dean's work at Walsall and especially how he has managed to turn a club with such a low budget into one pushing for promotion. We can't win by spending more money than our competitors so we have to identify competitive edges, and in that respect Dean is a great fit.
"The job is not just about being an experienced and intelligent football coach. More than anything, it is about being able to lead the staff and bring the best out of highly qualified experts as well as the players."
