As Aston Villa sack Dean Smith and find his replacement in Steven Gerrard, here’s taking a look at his managerial career, how much was his salary and contract at Aston Villa
Dean Smith was sacked by Aston Villa after 3-years as head coach at Villa Park. Why was he fired? Aston suffered 5 straight defeats in the Premier League this season which made CEO Christian Purslow to make the decision. He said that the club had not seen any improvement in the team’s performances in the ongoing season which is why they had to let go of Smith.
Now let’s take a look at Smith’s managerial career shall we?
Dean Smith Managerial Career
Walsall
Smith started his managerial career at Walsall in July 2009, a club where he began his footballing career. He was appointed as the head of youth at the club. But the managerial position was given to Smith not before 2011, when he took charge over Walsall till the end of the season. At the time, the West Midlands club was at the very bottom of League One and it was under Smith’s management that Walsall managed to escape from relegation.
In the 2012-13 season, Smith’s team finished six points outside the playoffs and in 2015 the Englishman took Walsall to the EFL Trophy Final at Wembley for the first time ever in the history of the club.
Brentford
Smith was head coach of The Bees for 3 years, from 2015 to 2018. Thanks to Smith, Walsall were fourth in the table when he left to manage the West London club. During his 3-year tenure with the Bees, Smith helped the club finish 9th for two seasons and 10th for one season in the Premier League.
Aston Villa
It was in October, 2018 that Smith was assigned the head coach position at Aston Villa. A club he loved immensely, Smith had once cleaned the steps of the Holte End while his father did a steward’s job. When a 47-year old Smith arrived at Villa, the club was placed 15th in the Championship.
Under Smith, Villa had a 10-match winning run between 2nd March and 22nd April, 2019, eventually securing a place in the playoffs. The English manager broke a 109-year old club record and also guided his team to a win over their Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion in the semi-finals. This was followed by a penalty shootout, after which a 2-1 win over Derby County in the final at Wembley led to the return of Villa to the Premier League after an absence of 3 years.
How Much Are Aston Villa Paying To Dean Smith As Compensation And His Salary
Aston Villa have appointed Steven Gerrard as their new manager, which will see them pay a compensation of 3-4 million UK pounds to Dean Smith. He had a contract till 2023 at the club, one worth 9 million pounds with him earning 1.5 million each year.