Ex-Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has found himself a new management role - a month after he was sacked by Watford.
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Tom Cleverley has been appointed as Plymouth Argyle's head coach.
Tom Cleverley has been appointed as Plymouth Argyle's head coach.
(Image: Getty Images)
Ex-Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has been appointed as the new Plymouth Argyle head coach.
The 35-year-old, who retired from professional football in July 2023 as a result of injuries, stepped into coaching at Watford before he was appointed as their head coach in March 2024. However, Cleverley was sacked in May after guiding them to a 14th-place finish. Watford were, at one point, in play-off contention but faded during the second half of the season.
Since, Cleverley has been out of work and searching for his next managerial role. Now, Plymouth have decided to appoint the ex-United man after Miron Muslic's departure.
Despite committing his long-term future to Plymouth at the start of last month, Muslic then opted to leave after receiving an offer from 2. Bundesliga side Schalke. Plymouth have acted fast to source Cleverley as a replacement, with the former Everton man signing a three-year contract at Home Park.
Chairman Simon Hallett cut a delighted figure after confirming the appointment of Cleverley. He told the club's website: "Ever since Miron's departure - and knowing Tom was available - we identified him straightaway as the perfect person to be our next head coach and targeted him immediately.
"When we spoke with him he was completely aligned with the vision and ambitions of the club and it was clear throughout that Tom was the right fit for us. He is fully invested in our long-term plans and will play a key role in helping us achieve them.
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"He is young, passionate and did a great job at Watford.
"We are thrilled to bring him to Argyle and look forward to seeing the impact he has on the talented squad at his disposal."
Argyle CEO Andrew Parkinson said: "We were inundated with interest from prospective candidates, which shows how exciting this project is. But, throughout the process, it was clear that Tom was the perfect person to take the club forward.
He's been highly sought after, so we are really pleased we have been able to bring him to Argyle and look forward to seeing him build a squad and style of play that will see us challenging at the top end of League One this season."
Cleverley becomes Plymouth's first head coach within the space of 18 months, with the merry-go-round starting when Steven Schumacher left to join Stoke City in December 2023. Ian Foster was appointed in January 2024 but lasted just 14 matches - with then-director of football Neil Dewsnip and first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell taking over and keeping Argyle in the Championship.
Wayne Rooney, a former teammate of Cleverley's for United and England, then became Argyle's head coach last summer, but was sacked on New Year's Eve after a difficult start to the campaign.
Muslic was brought in to replace Rooney but, although there were some impressive results and performances, he couldn't prevent Plymouth from relegation back to League One.
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