Thomas Frank met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in his London garage last spring, before Manchester United cut ties with Erik ten Hag, as per reports. According to TV2, the Danish manager held talks with the Red Devils and Chelsea in May 2024, as both clubs tested the water with new head coaches.
In the morning, it is said that Frank met with Ineos chief Ratcliffe in a London garage, before holding talks with Chelsea in the lavish Mayfair Hotel overlooking Hyde Park. In the end, however, Frank opted to stay on with Brentford for another season, with United appointing Ruben Amorim in the wake of Ten Hag's dismissal in the November, while Chelsea opted to put their faith in Enzo Maresca.
However, Frank told the publication that he was left feeling in awe at the prospect of even speaking with two titans of world football. He explained: "I know I didn't get either job, but it was still huge.
"I remember walking through Battersea Park between the two interviews and thinking, 'Thomas Frank from f***ing Frederiksværk - am I really experiencing this?'"
After a humble playing career with Frederiksværk between 1995 and 2004, Frank transitioned into the world of football management in 2008, taking up tenure with his nation's U16 set-up. From there, he climbed through the ranks to Denmark U17 and U19, before parting ways with the international game to manage Brondby in 2013.
Frank lasted just three years with the club before he resigned after it came about that the club's chairman, Jan Bech Andersen, had been criticising him via an anonymous profile on a fan forum site. A two year break from football then ensued, before he landed a role with Brentford.
A Championship team at the time, Frank led the side to Premier League football in 2021 as a result of winning the play-off final with a convincing 2-0 triumph of Swansea City.
While many newly-promoted teams have faced relegation the year after achieving promotion as a result of struggling to adapt to top flight football, Frank managed to not only retain Brentford's place in the Premier League in the years that followed, but turned the team into genuine stalwarts - finishing 10th last term.
However, the 52-year-old's time at the Gtech Community Stadium drew to a close this summer. Frank found himself linked with taking up tenure with Tottenham soon after the departure of Ange Postecoglou, before he was finally unveiled as the club's new head coach on June 12.
Despite Spurs suffering a 17th-place finish in the Premier League last season under Postecoglou, it appears as though the club is now breathing a new lease of life under Frank's reign. As it stands, the Lilywhites currently sit fifth in the league table after 11 matches, with five wins, three draws and three losses to show for their efforts.
They are also unbeaten in Europe at present, with wins over Villarreal and Copenhagen, as well as draws with Bodo/Glimt to their name in the Champions League. Frank and his side will hope to pick up where they left off when Premier League action returns next weekend, although there may be a titan task awaiting them.
That's because Spurs next face Mikel Arteta's Arsenal on Sunday, November 23. The Gunners currently occupy first-place in the league standings, eight points clear of Tottenham and unbeaten in their last eight top flight outings.