Tom Cleverley has been handed a three-year deal as Plymouth Argyle’s new head coach. The club, relegated to League One, appointed the 35-year-old former Watford manager after being impressed in further talks this week. Cleverley succeeds Miron Muslic, who left for Schalke at the end of last month.
Cleverley, sacked by Watford last month after finishing 14th in the Championship, had been identified as Plymouth’s number-one target after final interviews with four candidates on Wednesday. Discussions are believed to have been held with Jack Wilshere and Des Buckingham but neither made the final stages. The St Mirren manager, Stephen Robinson, is thought to have made the last round of talks. The recruitment has been led by David Fox, their former player who was recently appointed head of football operations, and the former Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber, a consultant.
The Plymouth chairman Simon Hallett told the club website: “Ever since Miron’s departure, and knowing Tom was available, we identified him straight away as the perfect person to be our next head coach and targeted him immediately. When we spoke to him he was completely aligned with the vision and ambitions of the club and it was clear throughout that Tom was the right fit for us.
“He is fully invested in our long-term plans and will play a key role in helping us achieve them. He is young, passionate and did a great job at Watford. We are thrilled to bring him to Argyle and look forward to seeing the impact he has on the talented squad at his disposal.”
Managerless Cardiff City have held advanced talks with Buckingham about their vacancy but the Leicester coach Brian Barry-Murphy is also thought to be in the frame. Buckingham is out of work after being sacked by Oxford. Barry-Murphy joined Leicester in December after three years coaching in Manchester City’s academy. Barry-Murphy’s only previous management role was at Rochdale.
Aaron Ramsey was a candidate for the job on a permanent basis after taking interim charge following Omer Riza’s sacking in April but the Wales midfielder has agreed to prolong his playing career in Mexico with Pumas after his Cardiff contract expired. The 34-year-old is expected to sign a deal until the 2026 World Cup, for which Wales hope to qualify under Craig Bellamy.
On Wednesday Cardiff conceded the recruitment process “had taken longer than expected”. In a statement, the club said: “Having started with a blank canvas, we are proud of the final options presented to the board for consideration. This is an appointment that everyone wants to get right for the future of Cardiff City.”
