Former Aston Villa loan man named interim boss of Championship side

Former Aston Villa midfielder Tom Cleverley has been named interim boss of Watford in the Championship, as announced by their official club website.

The 34-year-old, who made 13 caps for England in his career, announced his retirement from the game last summer.

Cleverley had a loan spell at Villa Park during the 2014/15 season and made 37 appearances during his time in the Midlands in all competitions, chipping in with three goals.

He rose up through the ranks at Manchester United and went on to play 79 games for the Red Devils as a youngster, as well as having temporary spells away from Old Trafford to boost his development with the likes of Leicester City, Watford and Wigan Athletic.

Following his stint at Aston Villa, he was snapped up by Everton on a permanent deal. The Hampshire-born man then spent two years at Goodison Park before linking up with Watford again.

Cleverley has been a decent servant for the Hornets over recent years, both as a player and now a coach, and will now be keen to show what he can do as a manager.

It remains to be seen how long the former Aston Villa man will be in the caretaker position at Vicarage Road for. He has replaced Valerien Ismael in the dugout for the Hertfordshire club as they look to rise up the second tier table after a poor run of form.

They were beaten 2-1 at home by Coventry City this weekend and aren't safe yet.