Tom Cleverley ‘optimistic’ amid Rangers links after Watford sack
Tom Cleverley has been tipped to land a high-profile job in the wake of his sacking by Championship side Watford.
Former Hornets striker Troy Deeney believes that the ex-Man United midfielder could be in line for a role with a club such as Rangers or Leicester City.
Cleverley first took interim charge of the Vicarage Road outfit back in March 2024 following the sacking of Valerien Ismael before getting the role on a permanent basis the following month.
There had been suggestions earlier this that Cleverley was fighting for his job at Watford, although he managed to see out the season with the club.
On Tuesday (6 May) though, it was announced that the 35-year-old had been dismissed from his role by the Hornets.
That came after a 14th place finish in the Championship this season, with the Hornets winning just five of their 24 games during the calendar year.
Tom Cleverley back for next big move
Watford are not the only club looking for a manager in the wake of the sacking of Cleverley, which Deeney believes could help his former teammate get back into the game quickly.
Rangers are currently searching for a permanent successor to Philippe Clement, with Barry Ferguson in interim charge until the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy is expected to leave Leicester amid the club’s imminent relegation from the Premier League, with Bristol City’s Liam Manning also in the frame at the King Power.
| Tom Cleverley Watford managerial record | Total (Transfermarkt) |
| Matches | 60 |
| Won | 20 |
| Drawn | 14 |
| Lost | 26 |
Deeney has now suggested that Cleverley can be confident of landing such a role following his exit from Watford.
Speaking on talkSPORT about what might come next for the 35-year-old, the ex-Hornets striker said: “I do think Clevs will land on his feet.
“I think that there’s rumours of him looking at somewhere like Rangers, he’s in with a shout, even Leicester.
“So you know, with all of that I can see why he will be disappointed and heartbroken in the short term, but be optimistic about the future.”
Rangers and Leicester City may be reluctant over Tom Cleverley after Watford
Football Insider Verdict
There aren’t that many people who are going to be all that surprised by the news that Cleverley has now left his role at Vicarage Road.
It seems no club in England has a reputation for sacking managers quite like Watford, so after a disappointing run towards the end of this season, his exit did seem inevitable.
Given the impressive job he did in steadying the ship when he first took over, and considering he wasn’t exactly backed well in the transfer window, Cleverley may feel hard done by over his departure.
Even so, it would still feel like a big risk for either Rangers or Leicester to bring in the 35-year-old as their next appointment.
Those two sides will have their sights firmly set on either trophies or promotion next season, and Cleverley has experience of neither yet as a manager, with Watford having been his first senior role.
As a result, it would make sense if both teams plumped for someone with a better track record of delivering what they want for those jobs instead, for now at least.