#PLStories- Thomas Frank thinks Sport Republic founder Ankersen will make Southampton a better club #SAINTSFC #BRENTFORDFC

BRENTFORD manager Thomas Frank has admitted that he is worried Rasmus Ankersen will make Saints more successful and added: “We will miss him.” Co-founder of Sport Republic, who have purchased Gao Jisheng’s controlling stake to become the new owners of Saints, Ankersen already has an esteemed career in football. He only departed his most recent job as co-director of football at Brentford at the end of 2021, after helping mastermind their promotion to the Premier League. Bees boss Frank was asked about the fellow Dane, ahead of their FA Cup clash with Port Vale. “First and foremost Rasmus has done a fantastic job for us,” he said, as reported by The Athletic. “I’ve known him for 15 years and I’ve loved to work with him in five years at Brentford so I will miss him. [embedded content] "We will miss him. He did a top job in terms of being part of getting Brentford to be a Premier League club and being a well-established club in terms of recruiting and selling players. "I don’t know too much about the Southampton thing to be fair. I would love it if he was here but he’s not. I’m confident that me, Phil Giles, Lee Dykes and Matthew (Benham) will find a way to do as well as we have done the whole time.” Asked if he is worried that Ankersen’s involvement will make Saints, and a direct Premier League rival of the London outfit, stronger, he responded: "Yeah. "Because Rasmus is very intelligent and very good at his job in terms of building a club and making them better. “He’s been a part of that at both Midtjylland and Brentford. "But one thing I know in football you can’t do things overnight. I think Southampton are doing a good job but to do a big turnaround it will take time.”