Tuesday 2 June 2015 15:31, UK
He's taken the reins at Brentford, but just who is Marinus Dijkhuizen and why did he catch the eye of the Championship club?
Dijkhuizen has been appointed to succeed Mark Warburton at Griffin Park, after the former boss steered the Bees to a fifth-place finish and the play-off semi-finals, where they were beaten by Middlesbrough.
Brentford announced in February that they were to cut ties with Warburton at the end of the season - much to the dismay of fans.
But could they be getting a new manager who is cut from the same cloth as Warburton? The Dutchman's career, like that of the man he replaces, is in its infancy, but he, too, has impressed in a short space of time...
Instant success
After retiring from a 14-year playing career which encompassed a brief loan spell at Scottish League One side Dunfermline, the 43-year-old masterminded successive promotions with two amateur sides back in his native Netherlands before being given his chance at Excelsior, then in the Dutch second tier.
In January 2014, Dijkhuizen took over from former AC Milan and Newcastle striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, and despite the team sitting in seventh in the Eerest Divisie, the inexperienced coach secured his new side a spot in the Dutch top flight.
Widely-tipped to be relegated in the 2014/15 season, Dijkhuizen lead the Rotterdam-based outfit to 15th on a shoestring budget, thus avoiding the need to secure their Eredivisie status via a relegation play-off.
It is the first time Excelsior have not required to play an extra tie to stay in the Eredivisie since the 1985-86 campaign – adding to Dijkhuizen’s stock yet further.
As well as staying up, Excelsior also reached the Dutch League Cup semi-final, losing to eventual winners Gronigen.
What have they said?
Matthew Benham, Brentford owner: "The appointment of the new head coach was a very important part of the restructure of the football management we have been undertaking. 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. There was a wide search and lots of candidates were considered but Marinus was the overwhelming choice of everyone involved in the selection process."
Dijkhuizen: "I have been to Brentford once before, with my father and brother, to see a game against Coventry City in March 2014. 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."
The task at hand
With a small squad, limited resources and the loss of pivotal figure Alex Pritchard, who has returned to Tottenham after a successful loan spell at Griffin Park, it appears Dijkhuizen faces a tough task to emulate Warburton’s achievements in west London.
Excelsior may have held their own in the Dutch top flight, but this would in no way be a step sideways or backwards for Dijkhuizen. Excelsior's Stadion Woudestein holds just 3,500, compared to the average 10,800 at Griffin Park in the 2014/15 season.
However, Dijkhuizen has only ever brought success to his respective clubs and has shown he's not afraid to take risks, much like his predecessor. Brentford fans will wait with baited breath to see whether his achievements in Holland can be translated to the Championship.
