44 Facts About Tom Cleverley

Thomas William Cleverley was born on 12 August 1989 and is an English football coach and former professional player who played as a midfielder.

Tom Cleverley is currently head coach of EFL Championship club Watford.

Tom Cleverley was loaned to League One club Leicester City at the start of 2009, helping the team win promotion as champions.

Tom Cleverley won the Premier League with Manchester United in 2013.

Tom Cleverley moved to Watford in January 2017, initially on loan, and totalled 146 appearances for the club up to his retirement in 2023.

Tom Cleverley played for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and later that year made his debut for the England national team.

Tom Cleverley was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, but grew up in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Tom Cleverley was part of Bradford City's youth set-up, but joined Manchester United as an 11-year-old trainee in July 2000.

In recognition of his performances for the reserves, on 24 July 2008, Tom Cleverley was called up to the Manchester United first team for the remainder of their tour of South Africa and the match against Portsmouth in Nigeria.

Tom Cleverley made his first-team debut against Kaizer Chiefs in the final of the 2008 Vodacom Challenge, coming on in place of Rodrigo Possebon at half-time, before he scored the third of United's four goals just after the hour mark.

Tom Cleverley then returned to Manchester United for treatment and underwent surgery on his shoulder on 2 April 2009.

On 18 August 2009, Tom Cleverley signed for Watford on loan and was able to play in their match away to Nottingham Forest that evening.

Tom Cleverley scored a further five goals in 20 appearances for Watford before a knee ligament injury in April 2010 ended his season prematurely.

Tom Cleverley went on to win the team's Player of the Season award.

On 1 July 2010, Tom Cleverley signed a new contract with the club, keeping him until 2013.

However, Tom Cleverley suffered a knock, resulting a knee injury in training and was sidelined for weeks.

However, following a Dubious Goals Panel ruling, this goal was taken away from Tom Cleverley and credited as a Rory Delap own goal.

On 31 January 2011, Manchester United agreed to let Tom Cleverley stay on loan at Wigan until the end of the season.

However, Tom Cleverley suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for a month.

Tom Cleverley was one of Wigan's stand-out performers and ended the season with three goals and two assists in 25 league appearances.

Tom Cleverley was identified by manager Alex Ferguson as a potential homegrown replacement for Scholes.

Tom Cleverley left the field of play after 57 minutes due to an ankle injury, but his performance was later hailed by his manager, Alex Ferguson, as "outstanding".

However, since his return, Tom Cleverley appeared in the first team occasionally towards the end of the season and made seventeen appearances in all competitions.

The criticism on Tom Cleverley further increased when he was offered a new contract.

Tom Cleverley's manager, Paul Lambert, denied rumours that there was a clause in Cleverley's contract that he had to start when fit, and defended the player after he was cheered sarcastically by some Aston Villa supporters when substituted in matches.

At one point, Tom Cleverley's performance resulted a confrontation with then the club's assistant manager, Roy Keane.

Tom Cleverley lost his first-team place following a new management of Tim Sherwood, but managed to redeem himself soon after.

Tom Cleverley's performance helped the club avoid relegation and retained their Premier League status for another season.

Tom Cleverley previously was on the verge of joining Aston Villa on a permanent basis, but was in favour of joining Everton at the end of the season.

However, during a match against Tottenham Hotspur, Tom Cleverley suffered a malleolar injury and was sidelined between six and eight weeks.

Tom Cleverley scored his first goal for the club on 26 December 2015, when he headed in a last-minute winner for the Toffees against Newcastle United.

Tom Cleverley then played a vital role in the next two matches against Bournemouth and Arsenal.

On 1 July 2023, Tom Cleverley announced his retirement from professional football as a result of injury.

Later that month, Watford announced that Tom Cleverley would take up a position in the club's academy helping to coach the under-18 side, while taking on ad hoc club ambassadorial responsibilities.

Tom Cleverley was called up to Noel Blake's England under-20 team for the first time on 12 March 2009.

On 2 July 2012, Tom Cleverley was named in Stuart Pearce's 18-man Great Britain squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

On 20 July 2012, Tom Cleverley played in a warm up match for the Olympics at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough against Brazil national under-23 football team.

Tom Cleverley set up the winner with a through-ball for Daniel Sturridge and generally impressed with his range of passing.

Tom Cleverley received another call-up for the Euro 2012 qualifying matches with Bulgaria and Wales later in September 2011 alongside fellow new England additions and club-mates Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, but did not end up playing.

On 12 October 2012, playing against San Marino in a World Cup qualifier, Tom Cleverley made 165 touches during the match, the highest ever recorded for an England player.

On 24 April 2024, Tom Cleverley was given the head coach role on a permanent basis having lost only once in his seven matches in interim charge.

Tom Cleverley was at home with his girlfriend in Manchester when the newspaper said the incident had occurred.

In 2012, Tom Cleverley began dating The Only Way is Essex television personality Georgina Dorsett.

In October 2015, Tom Cleverley was present in his house, with his wife and baby daughter, when he was burgled by armed thieves.