The revolving door at Watford has spun once again, as the club announced the dismissal of head coach Tom Cleverley following a disappointing end to the Championship season. The decision, which sees Cleverley become the tenth manager sacked by the Pozzo family in the last five years, has sent ripples of frustration through the fanbase, many of whom had warmed to the former player’s leadership.
The Hornets finished a middling 14th in the Championship, a campaign that unravelled dramatically after the New Year. A paltry five league wins in 2025, culminating in a final run of just one victory in their last seven games, saw Watford plummet from play-off contention to 11 points adrift, ultimately sealing Cleverley’s fate.
Tom Cleverley Sacked: A Promising Start Ends in Familiar Fashion
Tom Cleverley, a man who had dedicated eight years to Watford first as a dynamic midfielder, then captain, and finally as a coach, stepped into the managerial hot seat on an interim basis in March 2024. An impressive start, losing only one of his initial seven games, earned him the permanent role and a wave of optimism. At one point towards the end of March, the dream of a play-off spot was tangible, with the team just four points shy.
However, the team’s form nosedived. Despite the club hierarchy, including owner Gino Pozzo, publicly backing Cleverley in January amidst “pure speculation” of a replacement, the lack of sustained results proved terminal. Sporting Director Gian Luca Nani, in a club statement, acknowledged Cleverley’s contributions: “We thank Tom for his service, not just in his role as Head Coach but for everything he has given Watford as a player and member of staff. But the time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad that will have benefited from the experience of the Championship this season.”
Nani added, “It has been a privilege to work closely with Tom; to understand how he sees the game and his enthusiasm for everything here. He deserves to be recognised for this, and I’m sure he will have a bright future in the game. Tom will always be part of Watford in recognition of all that he has achieved over so many years.”
Cleverley himself, speaking last week, had pointed to a significant injury crisis, particularly among his forwards, as a key factor in their decline, noting a stark drop in goals scored post-January despite a consistent defensive record. He had expressed a commitment to learning from the season’s challenges, highlighting the valuable, albeit sometimes harsh, experience gained by a predominantly young squad.
The 35-year-old’s tenure, though ultimately cut short, was notable. He was the first Watford head coach to last an entire season since Javi Gracia in 2018-19 and leaves as the third-longest-serving manager under the Pozzo regime, a stark indictment of the club’s instability, which has seen 21 permanent managers in 13 years.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Tom Cleverley has become the 12th manager sacked by Watford since 2019:
🇪🇸 Quique Sanchez Flores
🏴 Hayden Mullins
🏴 Nigel Pearson
🇷🇸 Vladimir Ivic
🇪🇸 Xisco Munoz
🇮🇹 Claudio Ranieri
🏴 Roy Hodgson
🏴 Rob Edwards
🇭🇷 Slaven Bilic
🏴 Chris Wilder
🇫🇷 Valerien… pic.twitter.com/LytYoKftbW— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 6, 2025
Off the Pitch: Tom Cleverley Wife Georgina Dorsett
Away from the pressures of the dugout, Tom Cleverley shares his life with wife Georgina Dorsett, a name familiar to fans of reality television and the fashion world. So, who is Tom Cleverley Wife Georgina Dorsett?
Georgina, born in Essex in September 1985, initially pursued a career as a property developer before stepping into the limelight. She appeared in the 2012 series of the popular reality show ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ (TOWIE). Though her stint was brief, she made an impression, notably going on a much-discussed date with Joey Essex and declining the advances of Mario Falcone.
However, 2012 was also the year her path crossed with Tom Cleverley’s. Introduced by a mutual friend in May, their romance blossomed quickly. As her relationship with the then-Manchester United midfielder deepened, Georgina Dorsett chose to step away from the reality TV world to focus on their life together, which increasingly centred around Manchester.
A former model, Georgina Dorsett, has always possessed a keen eye for style and a striking presence. Standing at 5’6″, she has maintained a strong interest in the fashion industry, securing a modelling contract with Littlewoods in 2016 for their Drama Queen line. Her Instagram profile showcases her glamorous style and insights into their family life, often featuring trips to luxurious destinations like Dubai. It’s estimated that Tom Cleverley wife Georgina Dorsett’s net worth is around £1 million as of 2023.
Their Relationship: From Las Vegas Proposal to Family Life
The couple’s journey from a chance meeting to a bustling family has been a chapter of enduring commitment. Seven months after they began dating, Tom and Georgina Dorsett announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Nevaeh Rose, was born in June 2013.
A year later, during a romantic getaway to Las Vegas in 2014, Cleverley proposed with a dazzling diamond ring reportedly worth £20,000. The wedding took place in June 2015, a lavish and star-studded affair held at the prestigious Claridge’s hotel in Mayfair, London. The guest list included footballing royalty such as Wayne and Coleen Rooney, Danny Welbeck, and Chris Smalling. Rochelle Humes, of The Saturdays fame and a close friend of Georgina, served as one of her seven bridesmaids. Georgina was a vision in an elegant ivory fishtail gown, complete with a ten-foot train.
Their family continued to grow with the arrival of their son Albie in 2016, followed by two more children, Sloane and Summer, making them a family of six. Their life, while often in the public eye, has been grounded in their growing family. An insight into their affluence was seen in February 2023 when their £3.8 million six-bedroom mansion in Carrwood, Hale Barns, was put on the market, a common move for footballers as their careers and family needs evolve.
Tom Cleverley Watford’s Coaching Journey and Net Worth
Before his recent managerial role, Cleverley had an established playing career that saw him rise through the ranks at Manchester United, where he won a Premier League title. He also had spells at Leicester City, Wigan Athletic, and Aston Villa, and represented England 13 times, as well as playing for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics. His deep connection with Tom Cleverley Watford began with a loan spell in 2009-10, and he returned permanently in 2017 from Everton, going on to make 146 appearances and captaining the side in 2023 before transitioning into coaching, initially with the academy.
His brief managerial tenure at Watford saw him oversee 60 games, winning 20, drawing 14, and losing 26. While a definitive figure for Tom Cleverley Net Worth in 2025 is not publicly pinpointed, his long career in top-flight football, including contracts with Manchester United, Everton, and Watford (where his annual salary in recent years was reported to be around £2.6 million), suggests a substantial financial standing, further evidenced by past property investments. Spotrac.com reported his career earnings through 2024 in football to be around $18,200,000 from salaries alone.
Fan and Media Reaction: Disappointment and A Sense of Déjà Vu
The news of Tom Cleverley sacked has, according to BBC Three Counties Radio sport editor Geoff Doyle, likely gone down “very badly with Watford fans.” Cleverley was a popular figure, seen as a club man who understood Watford’s fabric. Doyle noted that Cleverley was “probably the most popular since Javi Gracia,” and that “supporters will be upset and angry.” The fans’ song this season, reportedly about “not caring about owner Gino Pozzo and only caring about Cleverley,” highlights the disconnect that this decision might exacerbate.
The board can point to the poor run of form in the latter part of the season as justification, but for many supporters, this is another frustrating chapter in the club’s recent history of managerial instability.
