Watford interim head coach Cleverley announces his staff
Watford’s interim head coach Tom Cleverley has drawn from those around him at London Colney to form his coaching staff.
Having been placed in charge of the first team on Saturday evening, Cleverley has appointed Damon Lathrope and Armand Kavaja as Assistant Coaches and Jimmy Gilligan as Technical Consultant.
Lathrope was the current Women’s team head coach, Kavaja has been working with Cleverley in the Under-18’s and Gilligan is the club’s Academy Head of Technical Development.
The club have also added Chris Douglas to Cleverley’s staff as First-Team Analyst.
At 34, Lathrope is the same age as Cleverley but his career came to an end a little earlier as a serious leg injury sustained playing for Woking against Boreham Wood in 2018 curtailed his playing activities before he was 30.
The Stevenage-born midfielder began his professional career with Norwich City but made the vast majority of his appearances for Torquay United.
He made more than 150 outings for the Gulls in two spells, initially in League Two between 2010 and 2014, and then in the National League from 2016 to 2018.
Lathrope also had spells as a player with Aldershot Town, Hereford United and Bishops Stortford.
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After his injury he spent time as manager of Hitchin Town’s Under-19s and gained his UEFA A License.
Having worked in Watford’s Academy he became Assistant Coach of the Women’s team towards the end of the 2021/22 season, and then was appointed Head Coach in June 2022.
In his first season he steered the team to the National League South title and then won the Promotion Play-Off to take Watford Women back to the Championship.
