FORMER Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has announced his retirement from football at the age of 33.
It was confirmed by his current club Watford on Saturday that he was hanging up his boots as a result of an injury.
But the Hornets also revealed some “exciting news” will soon be jointly announced by Cleverley and the club.
Watford CEO Scott Duxbury said: “No one could have worked harder than Tom did to make it back from several injuries, which he’s tried to do while always providing a positive force around the players.
“I can’t speak highly enough about Tom as a person, a player and our captain. Tom is the type of professional all clubs would be delighted to have in their team.
“The year’s loan at the club before he joined again in January 2017 really helped him settle quickly into being a senior player with us, and his experience has proved invaluable over these past six years.”
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Cleverley made 32 appearances during Man Utd’s 2012/13 campaign – which saw them lift the Premier League title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season as manager.
After coming through the Red Devils’ youth set-up, he racked up 79 games for the first team.
He also managed 13 caps for England across 2012 and 2013.
Cleverley promised a great deal during the early stages of his career, but was often hampered by injuries which led to some inconsistent form.
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He departed Old Trafford permanently in 2015 following a loan spell with Aston Villa – where he reached the FA Cup final before losing to Arsenal.
He left Man Utd for Everton and spent 18 months at Goodison Park, before Watford took him on loan and eventually signed him – eight years after his loan spell at Vicarage Road.
He spent four full seasons in the Premier League with Watford, along with two in the Championship.
His retirement means he finishes with 146 appearances for the Hornets and a total of 379 in his club career.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
