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Watford have sacked Tom Cleverley as manager just days after the end of the season. The Championship side confirmed their former midfielder's departure after 13 months in charge on Tuesday. Cleverley was appointed in April 2024 after a month-long spell as caretaker boss. The Hornets finished the 2024/25 Championship season in 14th position with 57 points. That saw them 11 points behind Bristol City who finished in sixth - the final play-off position. Cleverley won 19 of his 52 matches in charge of the club but oversaw a disappointing end to the season. Watford won just one of their final nine matches as they dropped into the bottom half. In a statement, sporting director Gian Luca Nani said: "We thank Tom for his service – not just in his role as Head Coach but for everything he has given Watford as a player and member of staff. "But the time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad that will have benefitted from the experience of the Championship this season. "It has been a privilege to work closely with Tom; to understand how he sees the game and his enthusiasm for everything here. He deserves to be recognised for this and I’m sure he will have a bright future in the game. "Tom will always be part of Watford in recognition of all that he has achieved over so many years. " The club are now looking for their 12th permanent manager since 2020. Meanwhile, Cleverley is the 20th head coach to leave Vicarage Road since Gino Pozzo's takeover 13 years ago. Prior to his spell as manager, the former England midfielder spent the final six years of his playing career with the Hornets. During that time, he won promotion to the Premier League in 2021 before retiring two years later. Following his departure, Cleverley took to Instagram to share a message to supporters. His statement read: "After nine-and-a-half years of my life - as a loanee, player, captain, academy coach and head coach - my time at the club has come to an end. "After the sadness wears off, I will forever have a feeling of gratitude and happiness towards the club and the place and people of Watford. "To have built a connection with the players and supporters over the last 14 months has been special and the achievement I'm most proud about. "To see the development of our key players, young players and academy players has been an incredibly rewarding part of my job and their progress in the game will always be something I look out for. " He continued: "Football and football clubs are special. They make you feel truly part of something. I wasn't born in Watford or raised in Watford by this honestly feels like home. "To the club I'm grateful for the opportunity, the players for their efforts, and the supporters myself and my family will forever appreciate the love and support you have given me on this journey. "I repeat I will be sad that it's over, but full of happiness that it ever happened. And I hope it's not the final time our paths cross. You 'Orns. " Watford are now one of four clubs confirmed to be in next season's Championship on the hunt for a new manager. Cleverley's former team-mate Troy Deeney believes the decision is a 'mistake'. The talk SPORT co-host told Hawksbee & Baker: "It's difficult because I don't know what the expectation is. "You don't back him in January, you strip him of resources, you undermine him in January as well by leaking this information out that he can potentially get replaced. "He stays professional, does a good job. They finished 14th in the league. They were in a position where, at the start of the season, they were talked about as relegation candidates as well. "When you look at it from that perspective, then absolutely great, he's done a solid job. They're ready to kick on for next year. "If you look where they were three months ago, right up there in the play-offs, you would argue that the tail end of the season has been poor. "So you can understand why they've moved away, but I just don't see who you replace him with and what's going to change. I don't think it's going to get any better getting rid of Tom Cleverley. But Watford have decided to get rid of him. "The harsh facts are that since Boxing Day, if you look at the form guide, they've got 21 points since then. They're bottom of the form guide with Derby, Blackburn, Cardiff and Luton all above them. "So you can make an argument for both, but I would argue that it's a bit of a mistake in the short-term. " Deeney and Cleverley made a total of 68 appearances together for the Hornets. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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