Tom Cleverley guarantees Plymouth Argyle loyalty and hard work
Tom Cleverley has guaranteed Plymouth Argyle will get loyalty and hard work from him and his backroom staff after his appointment as head coach on a three-year contract.
Cleverley also declared he was aiming for 'long-term success' with the Pilgrims during an interview with Argyle TV, which was filmed at the Harper's Park training ground on Tuesday. The Argyle squad will get their first opportunity to meet Cleverley when they report for the start of pre-season on Friday, which will see them put through a series of fitness tests.
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"Very honoured, really proud," said Cleverley, when asked by Argyle TV's Charlie Price how he he felt about being the club's new head coach. "I think you see the size of the club when you are sat here, the quality of the facilities, the size of the stadium in the background.
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"As soon as I connected with people at the club I knew this was a really great move for me in my career and I feel like we are both craving real longevity now and stability, and that's something Argyle brings me. I can't wait to get started."
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Cleverley lost his job as Watford head coach at the end of last season after leading them to a 14th place finish in the Championship but was not out of work for long.
The former Manchester United and England midfielder was appointed by Argyle last Friday and has been followed to his new club from Watford by assistant head coach Damon Lathrope, first team coach Matt Bevans and analyst Chris Douglas. Long-serving first team coach Kevin Nancekivell and goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan will continue in their roles at Home Park.
Cleverley is already well aware of the passion of the Green Army for Argyle after his experiences when he served a touchline ban for Watford's 2-2 draw against the Pilgrims at Home Park last November. It was a game in which former Hornets' striker scored a last-gasp equaliser for the hosts.
"I was suspended that game so I was really in amongst it," said Cleverley. "I saw Andre Gray's equalising goal go in when I was heading from directors' box to tunnel so I was as in amongst it as you can possibly get.
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"Although I was at the opposite end, I understand how important the atmosphere can be, how can good it is here, how passionate people are, and ultimately how much the football club behind us really galvanises this community."
Argyle's choice of Cleverley as the successor to Miron Muslic, who abruptly left to join German club Schalke at the end of May, has been greeted with near unanimous approval from the Green Army.
Cleverley said about that: "I think the longer you spend in football the more you manage to block out external noise but we are human beings, of course you would want a positive reaction rather than a negative one.
"I think you will know by my inactivity on social media I'm not really one who's going to be sifting through it but what I can guarantee the football club and its supporters is there will be an incredible amount of hard work from me and my staff to make sure this is a success - not a short success, not a medium success but a long-term success.
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"We are a loyal group, we are a very hard-working group and in my opinion we are a technically and tactically very good group, but that's for us to prove. The other two things we can guarantee, that is loyalty and hard work."
Cleverley added: "I love how well balanced and stable the club feels. That was both looking at it from the outside but when you meet Simon (Hallett, owner and chairman), when you meet David (Fox, head of football operations), when you meet Andrew (Parkinson, chief executive officer). I really felt well aligned.
"Of course we are in a results industry, we are in a short-term results industry, but there has to be a longer term vision, a real process to bring you success and stability, and to make sure your performances are sustainable. I think Simon is someone who really understands that part of it.
"Listen, no-one loves winning football games as much as me and we will prepare to win absolutely every single game, but we will also prepare something that I feel will give us a real long-term stability and success, and an exciting journey."
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Cleverley began his coaching journey as under-18 lead coach at Watford in June 2023 before taking temporary charge of the first team in March 2024 after the dismissal of Valerian Ismael before being appointed on a permanent basis the following month.
"Academy football is an unbelievable grounding for a coach," said Cleverley. "In my eight months in the academy, you are the coach, you are the kit man, you are the analyst, you are the secretary so you do everything.
"It's a great grounding. In my eight months there I think I coached 70 games and then you get flung into the hot-seat, which I felt as prepared as I could be for.
"It was something I have thoroughly enjoyed. I have got a passion for developing people and players, and have got a passion for winning. Those two things are really helpful in the job I'm in. I couldn't recommend more the time I spent in the academy."
Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley at the Harper's Park training ground on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 (Photo by)
Asked what the Argyle players could expect from him as a head coach, Cleverley replied: "First of all, we have to work hard. We have to prepare well, thoroughly.
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"There has to be a strong environment. I have been part of successful teams and I have been part of failing teams. Yes, there is a difference in quality and there is a difference in budget but the over-riding thing is there is a difference in the environment and the culture, and how resilient the group is.
"Everything we do has to come from a foundation of that. Be a good team-mate, be a good person, and then after that we can talk technically and tactically.
"The players must feel a freedom to express themselves and from there there will be mistakes, and when we have to deal with failures, and that comes back to the strong culture.
"There will be a framework and a clarity the players have, but within that they have the right to take risks, to really express themselves and from there hopefully we provide our supporters with an exciting football team to watch."
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On what the Green Army will see from Cleverley's Argyle, he said: "I would expect us to control the football. From that there has to be a purpose, I'm not one of those who wants to control the football because I like looking at the stats after the game and we have had 70 per cent possession.
"There has to be a penetration, there has to be a final product, a real purpose to our possession of the football, and from there if that breaks down we are going to counter press hard, we are going to be intense and aggressive. To play like that you have to be fit.
"I like to control the controllables and let's start off with intensity and aggression. I think when I talk about preserving the atmosphere and the connection we have with our Argyle supporters then that's a good place to start."
With pre-season about to begin, Cleverley could not hide his excitement at the prospect of getting to work at Argyle. "I can't wait," he said.
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"I will have to be honest, as a player I didn't always look forward to seeing the grass again after six weeks off. As a coach I miss it after three days. This is why you do the long hours, this is why you don't retire as a player and just play golf.
"The smell of the grass, the sound of the balls, the sound of the studs clattering off the pavement walking up to the training ground, this is football. This is why I absolutely love it and I can't wait to meet the players, meet the supporters and get to work on the grass."
You can read more of our Argyle stories from Plymouth Live by clicking HERE
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