Tom Cleverley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tom Cleverley

Cleverley playing for Everton in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Thomas William Cleverley
Date of birth	(1989-08-12) 12 August 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Basingstoke, Hampshire, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Plymouth Argyle (head coach)
Youth career
1998–2000	Bradford City
2000–2008	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2015	Manchester United	55	(3)
2009	→ Leicester City (loan)	15	(2)
2009–2010	→ Watford (loan)	33	(11)
2010–2011	→ Wigan Athletic (loan)	25	(4)
2014–2015	→ Aston Villa (loan)	31	(3)
2015–2017	Everton	32	(2)
2017	→ Watford (loan)	17	(0)
2017–2023	Watford	137	(8)
Total		328	(33)
International career
2009	England U20	1	(2)
2009–2011	England U21	16	(0)
2012	Great Britain Olympic	5	(0)
2012–2013	England	13	(0)
Managerial career
2024–2025	Watford
2025–	Plymouth Argyle
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas William Cleverley (born 12 August 1989) is an English football coach and former player. He played as a midfielder. As of July 2025, he is the head coach for Plymouth Argyle.

Cleverley started his football journey in the youth team at Bradford City. He then joined Manchester United when he was 12 years old. He spent time on loan at several clubs to gain experience.

He played for Leicester City in 2009, helping them win their league. He then joined Watford on loan for the 2009–10 season. There, he scored 11 goals and was named their Player of the Season. In 2010, he went on loan to Wigan Athletic, helping them stay in the Premier League.

Cleverley returned to Manchester United for the 2011–12 season. He made his first big appearance when they won the FA Community Shield. In 2013, he won the Premier League title with Manchester United. After another loan spell at Aston Villa in 2014–15, he joined Everton. He later moved back to Watford in 2017, first on loan, then permanently. He played 146 games for Watford before retiring in July 2023 due to injury.

Tom Cleverley also played for the Great Britain Olympic team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Later that year, he made his debut for the England national team. After retiring as a player, he began his coaching career at Watford. He then became the manager of Plymouth Argyle.

Club Career Highlights

Early Football Days

Cleverley was born in Basingstoke, England, but grew up in Bradford. He started in the youth system at Bradford City. In July 2000, at age 11, he joined Manchester United as a trainee.

He played for Manchester United's under-18 team and later for the reserve team. In February 2007, he made his first reserve team appearance. However, he suffered a long-term injury a month later. He returned in October 2007 and became a regular for the reserve team.

During the 2007–08 season, Cleverley played 21 games for the reserves. The team won the Manchester Senior Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup. He scored his first goals for Manchester United on 23 January 2008, scoring twice against Bolton Wanderers. His strong performances led to him being nominated for an award.

In July 2008, Cleverley joined the Manchester United first team for their tour. He made his first-team debut against Kaizer Chiefs in the 2008 Vodacom Challenge. He came on at half-time and scored one of United's goals. For the 2008–09 season, he was given a first-team squad number.

Loan Spells to Gain Experience

Playing for Leicester City

On 16 January 2009, Cleverley joined Leicester City on loan for the rest of the 2008–09 season. He was given the number 7 shirt. He made his debut on 19 January 2009.

Cleverley scored his first goal for Leicester City on 3 February 2009. He scored again on 7 March 2009. After scoring two goals in 15 games, his loan ended early due to a shoulder injury. He returned to Manchester United for treatment. Even though his loan ended, he received a medal when Leicester won their league and got promoted.

Time at Watford

After scoring in a pre-season game for Manchester United, Cleverley was loaned out again. On 18 August 2009, he joined Watford on loan. He played that same evening and scored a goal in a 4–2 win.

He scored again in his home debut for Watford four days later. He became one of Watford's top scorers. He extended his loan deal until the end of the 2009–10 season. Cleverley scored five more goals for Watford before a knee injury ended his season early. He won the team's Player of the Season award.

Loan to Wigan Athletic

Cleverley playing for Manchester United in 2010

On 1 July 2010, Cleverley signed a new contract with Manchester United. He then joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan on 31 August 2010.

He made his debut for Wigan on 11 September 2010, which was also his first Premier League game. He helped set up a goal in a 1–1 draw. He later suffered a knee injury but returned to play in October 2010. On 27 November, he scored his first Premier League goal.

Cleverley stayed on loan at Wigan until the end of the season. He scored a key goal in a 2–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, helping Wigan move out of the relegation zone. He later suffered a hamstring injury but returned to score and assist in a 2–1 win over Birmingham City. He finished the season with three goals and two assists in 25 league games.

Back at Manchester United

2011–12 Season

When Paul Scholes retired, there was a spot open in Manchester United's midfield. Manager Alex Ferguson saw Cleverley as a possible replacement. Ferguson praised Cleverley after a pre-season game against Barcelona.

Cleverley made his official debut for United in a 3–2 win over Manchester City in the 2011 FA Community Shield. He came on as a substitute and helped set up a goal. He started his first Premier League game on 14 August 2011. He played well in early games, including an 8–2 win against Arsenal. However, he got a foot injury in September 2011 and was out for a month.

In October 2011, Cleverley signed a new contract with the club. He returned from injury later that month but then suffered another ankle injury. This kept him out until Christmas. He eventually returned in a UEFA Europa League game against Ajax. He made 17 appearances that season.

2012–13 Season

On 26 September 2012, Cleverley scored his first goal of the season in a 2–1 win against Newcastle United in the League Cup. His first league goal came on 7 October 2012, also against Newcastle United.

He scored his second league goal on 15 December in a 3–1 win against Sunderland. On 5 January 2013, he scored in an FA Cup game against West Ham United. He made 22 appearances that season, which was enough to earn him a Premier League winner's medal.

2013–14 Season

Under new manager David Moyes, Cleverley played in a deeper midfield role. On 15 December 2013, he scored in a 3–0 win over Aston Villa. Manchester United had a tough season, and Cleverley faced criticism from some fans. He ended the season with 32 appearances and one goal.

For the 2014–15 season, Manchester United signed several new players. This meant Cleverley had fewer chances to play under new manager Louis van Gaal. Several clubs, including Aston Villa and Everton, showed interest in him.

Loan to Aston Villa

Cleverley (centre, in white) playing for Aston Villa in 2015.

On 2 September 2014, Cleverley joined Aston Villa on loan. He made his debut for Aston Villa on 13 September 2014 in a 1–0 win over Liverpool.

He scored his first goal for Aston Villa on 25 April 2015. He scored again in the next two games, helping the club avoid relegation from the Premier League. Cleverley played in all six of Aston Villa's FA Cup games that season. He started in the 2015 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, where Aston Villa lost 4–0 to Arsenal.

His contract with Manchester United ended after the 2014–15 season, and he left the club.

Playing for Everton

After leaving Manchester United, Cleverley joined Everton on 1 July 2015, signing a five-year contract. He made his Everton debut in the first game of the season, a 2–2 draw against Watford.

He suffered an ankle injury during a game against Tottenham Hotspur and was out for several weeks. He returned in November 2015. Cleverley scored his first goal for Everton on 26 December 2015, a last-minute winner against Newcastle United. He also provided three assists in February 2016. He finished his first season at Everton with 22 appearances and two goals.

In his second season, Cleverley found it harder to get into the first team. He made 12 appearances without scoring. It was expected that he would leave the club in January.

Return to Watford

On 12 January 2017, Cleverley joined Watford on loan until the end of the 2016–17 season. He made his second debut for Watford two days later. He quickly made a positive impact on the team. On 31 March 2017, it was announced that Cleverley would join Watford permanently on 1 July. He made 17 appearances for Watford that season.

In the 2017–18 season, Cleverley continued to play regularly for Watford. On 15 October 2017, he scored his first goal for Watford in seven years, in a 2–1 win over Arsenal.

He was part of the Watford team that was relegated from the Premier League in the 2019–20 season. They were promoted back to the Premier League in the 2020–21 season, but then relegated again in the 2021–22 season. On 23 July 2022, Cleverley was named captain of Watford. In May 2023, Watford announced that Cleverley would leave the club when his contract ended.

On 1 July 2023, Cleverley announced his retirement from professional football due to injury. Later that month, Watford announced that he would join the club's academy to help coach the under-18 team.

International Career

Playing for England U20

Cleverley was first called up to the England under-20 team in March 2009. However, he had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. He eventually made his Under-20 debut on 11 August 2009. In that game, he missed an early penalty but went on to score two goals.

Playing for England U21

Cleverley made his England U-21 debut on 4 September 2009. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Macedonia.

Great Britain Olympic Team

On 2 July 2012, Cleverley was chosen for the 18-man Great Britain squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

He played in a warm-up game against Brazil national under-23 football team on 20 July 2012. He also played the full game in the tournament's opening match. In the second group match, Cleverley played a key role in GB's victory. He set up a goal and impressed with his passing.

Playing for England Senior Team

In August 2011, Cleverley was called up to the England senior team. He was called up again for Euro 2012 qualifying matches in September 2011.

He made his debut for the senior team on 15 August 2012 in a 2–1 win against Italy. He made his first competitive debut on 7 September 2012, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 win against Moldova. His performance was praised by manager Roy Hodgson. On 12 October 2012, Cleverley made 165 touches in a game against San Marino, which was a record for an England player. He also provided two assists in that 5–0 win. His last game for England was in November 2013. In May 2014, he was on a provisional list for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad but was later not selected.

Managerial Career

Coaching at Watford

On 9 March 2024, Cleverley was named interim head coach of Watford after the previous manager was dismissed. In his first game a week later, his team won 1–0. On 24 April 2024, Cleverley was given the head coach role permanently. He was sacked from his role at Watford on 6 May 2025.

Coaching at Plymouth Argyle

On 13 June 2025, Cleverley signed a three-year contract to become the head coach of League One team Plymouth Argyle.

Personal Life

When he was a child, Cleverley had a speech difficulty. In 2012, Cleverley started dating Georgina Dorsett. They had a daughter in 2013 and got married in 2015. Their son was born in 2016.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

Leicester City

• Football League One: 2008–09 (Champions)

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2012–13 (Winners)
• FA Community Shield: 2011, 2013 (Winners)

Aston Villa

• FA Cup runner-up: 2014–15

Watford

• FA Cup runner-up: 2018–19

Individual Awards

• Watford Player of the Season: 2009–10

See also

In Spanish: Tom Cleverley para niños