New Brentford boss Dean Smith has claimed that calling time on his Walsall career was a "very difficult decision to make".
The 44-year-old was finally appointed by the Bees on Monday evening following prolonged speculation linking him with the post.
Smith was earmarked as the number one choice by Brentford chiefs after his impressive work at the Bescot Stadium, where he left behind a high-flying Walsall side with one eye on promotion to the Championship.
Speaking to the Express & Star about his choice to take on a new challenge in West London, Smith said: "To leave was extremely hard - it was a very difficult decision to make. I had to sit down with the family and make the toughest decision of my career. I was at Walsall for six-and-a-half years - first as head of youth and then as manager, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
"I enjoyed all the ups and all the downs because it is a wonderful club to work for. I'm based in the Midlands. My mum and dad live there and my dad has got dementia. My daughter goes to school there. My boy is at the football club, so all those things came into play.
"Brentford had to tick an awful lot of boxes for me to even consider it. But the lure of coming and having the chance to manage in the Championship and hopefully the Premier League was too big to turn down. I hope Walsall fans can understand that."
Smith takes over a Brentford side currently 11th in the Championship table, just three points off the playoff zone following a turnaround in fortunes under stand-in boss Lee Carsley.
Daniel Lewis
