EFL club brutally sack former Manchester United star as announcement made
Former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has been sacked as Watford head coach after failing to secure a Premier League return with the Hornets
Watford FC have sacked head coach and former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley.
The 35-year-old had initially stepped in to steady the ship towards the end of the 2023/24 season, before being officially appointed last summer. The Hornets were contenders for a play-off spot earlier this season but their form dipped with only five victories recorded in 2025.
And it has now been confirmed that Cleverley has been relieved of his duties at Vicarage Road. The news comes after Watford ended the EFL Championship season in 14th place.
"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," sporting director Gian Luca Nani said in a statement on the club's website.
"But the time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad that will have benefited 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."
Though Cleverley's dismissal represents Watford's 10th sacking in the last five years, he leaves as the third-longest-serving manager since Gino Pozzo took over as owner in 2012. It also ends his eight-year association with the club, having initially joined as a player from Everton in 2017.
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