Aaron Danks: Who is Vincent Kompany's right-hand man at Bayern Munich?
Aaron Danks is Vincent Kompany's trusted assistant at Bayern Munich, and has previously stepped into the main man's shoes when required. But who is the Birmingham native who has helped the Bavarians succeed? Read on to find out...
Stats correct as of 21 October 2026
Aaron Danks
Age: 43 (15 June 1983)
Club: Bayern Munich
Role: Assistant coach
Country of birth: England
Born in the United Kingdom's second city, Danks never had a professional playing career, taking up his first role in the sport in 1999 as a Birmingham City Community Football Development Officer at 16. He then moved into coaching in the club's academy before doing the same for Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion for over a decade.
In 2016, he joined the English FA to work with the national team at several levels, and was part of the coaching staff when the Three Lions won the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2017.
After a short spell with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, he completed his coaching badges and became England U21 assistant coach. That stint lasted 12 months, after which he linked up with Kompany for the first time as his second in command at Anderlecht.
His next job was at Aston Villa, where he remained for another year and led the dugout for the first time on an interim basis between Dean Smith's dismissal and Unai Emery's appointment. His final job before reuniting with Kompany was at Middlesbrough, where he worked under now-Manchester United boss Michael Carrick.
At Bayern, he has already won two Bundesliga titles and stood in for Kompany when the Belgian was suspended for the second leg of the side's UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Coaches a bit like... Pep Lijnders
Unlike plenty of coaches, Danks did not make his name as a player prior to taking his place on the sideline. In that respect, he resembles Pep Lijnders, Jürgen Klopp's long-time number two and the latter's current assistant with Germany. Both focus on offensive football, as shown during Liverpool's best years under Klopp and Bayern's record Bundesliga goal haul last term, and are now among the most trusted men of two European coaching heavyweights. Lijnders, though, has been head coach in his own right at both Nijmegen and Red Bull Salzburg - will Danks follow the same path one day?
Did you know?
Danks holds the English FA Level 5 licence, which fewer than 500 people have. He graduated in 2019 in the same class as footballing legends Steven Gerrard and Peter Schmeichel, joining a group that includes ex-England head coach Gareth Southgate and former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzić.
What they're saying
“It means a lot to me to work for this fantastic club. We now want to shape the next era and help the players write their own story". - Aaron Danks upon joining Bayern
“The biggest lesson I picked up is how much I need to be adaptable. In a short space of time, I’ve worked in contrasting environments and met some top people, top coaches, who all have their differences and own identities". - Danks on the need to be flexible
"He was very impressive. He did his thing. He really took charge in a short space of time, and I have to give him a lot of respect for that. He was quite clear what he wanted from us." - Ex-Bayer Leverkusen forward Leon Bailey when the two worked together at Aston Villa
