Thomas Frank was in the stands to watch his former club Brentford take on Fulham in Premier League action in his first public appearance since being sacked from relegation-threatened Tottenham.
The Danish manager was given his marching orders in February amid a worrying dip in form in north London, which has since crystallised into a dogfight to escape the drop down to the Championship at the end of the season.
Since then, Frank has kept a low profile, but was all smiles in the capital on Saturday afternoon as he was spotted in a VIP box with Brentford’s sporting director Phil Giles.
Frank was captured by TNT Sports cameras greeting Brentford supporters and likely discussing his positive spell in west London.
The 52-year-old helped the Bees earn promotion during his seven-year stint at the Gtech Community Stadium, and the side has enjoyed reassuring continuity of promising form under current manager Keith Andrews.
The picture is far murkier to the north of the capital, with Roberto De Zerbi now installed in the dugout after Igor Tudor – recruited to reverse the club’s fortunes after Frank’s sacking – was despatched last month.
With his departure from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank is thought to have banked an eye-watering £8million settlement after just eight months in charge.
Frank is set to be paid one year’s salary as compensation for his dismissal months into his three-year contract, according to reports in his native Denmark.
Spurs paid £10m to prise him away from Brentford last summer and paid him about £650,000 a month, which means they have spent a total of more than £23m on him.
Tottenham will also play on Saturday, with a must-win clash against Brighton looming at 5.30pm in north London.
Defeat to Sunderland last time out – and a resurgence in form at survival rivals West Ham – have left Tottenham two points away from the 17th-placed Hammers.
