Keith Andrews began his youth career with Stella Maris in his native Ireland. In 1999, he made the move to England to join Wolverhampton Wanderers as a trainee, where he went on to progress through the academy to the second team, then the first team.

 

Six years at Wolves included Andrews becoming their youngest captain for more than a hundred years, when he took the armband at the age of 21 in a game against Queens Park Rangers.

 

He also had three loan spells when at Wolves – at Oxford United, Stoke City and Walsall.

Andrews made a move to Hull City in 2005, then to Milton Keynes Dons in 2007, where he became club captain, and scored the winning goal that saw the club promoted to League One. He was voted into the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year.

 

Spells playing for Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town, West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers, Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford followed, alongside 35 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team.

 

Andrews finished his playing career when on loan back at Milton Keynes Dons, retiring to take up a role as a first team coach at the club, under head coach Karl Robinson.

 

He then coached for the Republic of Ireland, first as u21 assistant manager, then as assistant manager of the first team, both under Stephen Kenney.

 

A job at Sheffield United followed, where he was assistant coach to Chris Wilder, before leaving to become set piece coach at Brentford under head coach Thomas Frank.

 

Andrews stepped up to become head coach of The Bees in July 2025.