Cleverley On Under-18s Role: “It Has Been A Fantastic Sense Of Purpose Again”

Former Watford captain Tom Cleverley is excited to continue his journey with the Hornets after recently being appointed as the new Under-18s Lead Coach.

The ex-England international, who made more than 180 appearances in yellow, retired from the game in July and wasted little time in continuing his footballing story, opening a new chapter as the boss of the Golden Boys’ youth side a month later.

Excited by the fresh challenge that life in the dugout poses, Cleverley has appreciated the support from the club and Academy in making that switch.

“The people around me have made the transition a lot easier,” said Cleverley, whose Under-18s side fell to a 3-0 defeat at Fleetwood Town on Saturday (August 19). “You have got Jimmy Gilligan (Head of Technical Development) and Richard Johnson (Academy Director) who are running the Academy, and they have been fantastic.

“They have left me to my agenda with running the team. They are there whenever I need to bounce ideas off them or if I need help with stuff that I am not experienced in. Those two have been great.

“Charlie Daniels, the Under-21s Lead Coach, has also been a great advice point for me. He is on the same journey that I am on. He is just two years further down the line. He was the Under-18s Lead Coach last year and has been key in making the transition as easy as possible.

“Of course, Armand Kavaja (Under-18s Assistant Coach) has been great. He is experienced in youth development and has been the perfect person for me to work alongside. Our views on football are similar, but we are not afraid to challenge each other.

“I feel like I have got a wealth of experience at first-team level up and down the English pyramid and he has got a wealth of experience in youth development, working with younger ages and working with the group of players we have got now.

“I think as a balance, we are working well together. We like to think that is reflecting on the group of players we have got who are responding well to the work we are doing. I am bringing my own ideas, but those four people especially have been really good for me in terms of my learning experience, as well as being a good support network for me when I need them.”

After a difficult final season with the Hornets saw Cleverley’s match time limited due to injuries, the 34-year-old has enjoyed a renewed sense of determination in his new role. Cleverley is also particularly excited by the prospect of watching his coaching philosophy come to fruition.

He continued: “On a personal level, it has been a fantastic sense of purpose again. You spend six months of last season injured and you lose direction as a footballer, as a person.

“It has been great - the long working hours keep you occupied, but when you are obsessed with football like I am, it doesn’t feel like you are working and the days fly by! It is a big sacrifice, but one that I am really enjoying.

“When it comes to playing style, we like to firstly look above and see what the first-team are doing and see what Charlie Daniels and Richard Shaw (Under-21s Assistant Coach) are doing with the Under-21s. From that template, we apply our own principles.

“We like to be a high-pressing team, we like to be aggressive in and around the ball. It’s not absolutely fundamental, but we would like to control games with possession and there has always got to be an effectiveness behind those things to create chances.

“A high-intensity, high-energy and aggressive team is part of our DNA. It is a really good part of the development for me to come in, because this is when they have to start thinking, not just technically, but tactically as well.

“They are in every day so you start preparing for individual games. This really helps gear them up for what routine weeks in the first-team look like.”

Focusing on the long season ahead, Cleverley is eager to make an impact on his Under-18s squad, especially in prestigious competitions such as the FA Youth Cup.

“From when I was a scholar to now, the FA Youth Cup is such a prestigious competition,” he added. “That will be a big part of our season, but we do not want to make a cup competition the be-all and end-all. Ultimately, we would love to see our group develop as individuals and as a team.

“Socially and psychologically I feel like I can add a lot to our players, from my experiences of coming through at a top academy in this country. It is not just technical aspects that we are looking at now – mentality and psychology are all important. We are trying to improve them in different areas now, which is important.

“I am an ambitious guy, so I would like to see us win our league. I think we have got the tools to do that. Longer term, our job is to produce players that are going to be robust and good enough to be part of our first-team and Under-21s. There are a lot of short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.”