As a man who sang Stand By Me at his Aston Villa initiation in 2014, Tom Cleverley is grateful that Plymouth Argyle got the message more than a decade on.
He is preparing for a second campaign in charge of a club with which he has hit the depths – they were bottom of League One in late November – and very nearly the heights. That they only missed out on the play-offs in the dying minutes of last season is testament to his inspiration and resilience. That he was still in charge was down to the club’s patience.
The target is still promotion this time around, but the Pilgrims’ progress won’t come easy when their competition includes Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. They have already sold star striker Lorent Tolaj for £4million to Bristol City and Cleverley will only get to spend some of that on a replacement.
But Cleverley knows his side can compete with the best in the division. Only Lincoln City had a better record in the third tier since the start of 2026 and the 36-year-old former Manchester United, England and Watford midfielder is more prepared than he was 12 months ago.
‘I’ve learned a lot,’ he tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘The biggest thing is my knowledge of League One. I researched every player we were playing against but until you’ve experienced the heat of the battle, it’s tough to know how to be at your most effective. You never stop learning. You want to be in the training ground 14 hours a day but you quickly learn that’s got a short shelf life.
‘I’ve got to grips with what the league takes. I know the strengths and weaknesses of my players. If we maximise every department of the football club, promotion is achievable.
Tom Cleverley is preparing for his second campaign in charge of Plymouth Argyle
He has struck up a strong relationship with supporters after a fantastic run of form in 2026
‘I’m very detailed. Which side you press someone off, to when you’re pressing, are you checking your shoulders? All these things, really tactical. Be detailed to give your players an edge, but don’t overload them.
‘I wouldn’t pigeonhole myself into one style of tactical identity. I’m someone who believes in getting the best out of the players you’ve got, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and creating a gameplan.’
Cleverley cites Unai Emery as one manager he admires for his adaptability, detail and record of improving players. In the Football League, when bigger clubs regularly poach players, being able to work with what you’ve got is vital.
He has also called in a few favours from an old Manchester United team-mate, with whom he won a Premier League title in 2013. Michael Carrick let Plymouth train at United’s Carrington base last season before their trip to Stockport County.
‘We’ve used Carrington, so I see Jonny Evans and Michael there,’ Cleverley says. ‘We’re good friends away from football, so we’ve had real good conversations about potential loans. Every young English coach will be rooting for him this year.’
Cleverley enjoys listening to Oasis, Blossoms and Courteeners, all bands from his old city. He’ll certainly need some music for the season ahead, when he will spend more than 12,000 on coach trips with his squad for away days from Devon.
Plymouth were surprisingly strong on the road last campaign. They earned 39 points on their travels (one fewer than when they won the title in 2022-23), winning 12 games.
Typically, they travel the morning before a match and train at a club’s facilities nearby, before getting home as late as 4am on the night of the game. Players then get a day and a half off to recuperate.
‘I’ve got to grips with what the league takes. I know the strengths and weaknesses of my players. If we maximise every department of the football club, promotion is achievable’
Cleverley (left) with Michael Carrick (right) in the 2012-13 season, when they won the Premier League together in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge
‘You want to be in the training ground 14 hours a day but you quickly learn that’s got a short shelf life’
‘The travelling isn’t mentioned as much internally as it is externally!’ says Cleverley. ‘We try to recruit the right profile of player and character that doesn’t moan about small things.
‘We know what we’re signing up for here. We do have the challenge of miles on the clock. It’s not a negative or an excuse, it’s a challenge, and we come across challenges big or small every day.’
After being the first person in and last person out every day, Cleverley is feeling ‘refreshed’ after a few weeks back home in Manchester and on holiday in North Wales this summer. He’s also been to St George’s Park to work on his English Pro Licence.
His more than 400 games as a player and manager have contained immense highs and lows. Roy Hodgson once compared him to Cesc Fabregas and he picked up 13 caps for England. He was also relegated with Watford and was the subject of a fan petition to exclude him from the 2014 World Cup, which hit the then 24-year-old hard.
All of that has given him a certain detachment when it comes to the struggles of football. In the pressure cooker of last October and November, when he looked on the brink of losing his job, Cleverley didn’t flinch.
‘It wasn’t as difficult as some people might have thought,’ he says. I suffered a very difficult time in my playing career when I was 23, 24, that gave you a numbness and a thickness of skin in your life.
‘It’s difficult not seeing your team win because you don’t sacrifice your life for poor performances or results. That’s hard. You sacrifice so much to see no outcome. But the abuse, I can take that, I’ve been in football long enough. I enjoy being the person to give direction out of those moments.’
Cleverley’s emotional stability is just as well, because he intends to be in this for the long haul. He has embraced the Plymouth community and sees his job as a project.
Roy Hodgson once compared Cleverley (right) to Cesc Fabregas (centre)
He won 13 caps for England and represented Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics
Cleverley’s emotional stability is just as well, because he intends to be in this for the long haul. He has embraced the Plymouth community and sees his job as a project
After arriving in Devon, Daily Mail Sport has learned, he went on a local history tour to understand the city. As we speak, he is celebrating a £65,000 grant from Sky Bet for Plymouth to run a programme helping women through their perimenopause and menopause.
‘We’re a club that really does walk the walk when we say we’re a community club and a family club,’ he says. ‘We have days with open training, Christmas carols, whatever it may be, we try to engage and give back to our loyal supporters.
‘I’m certainly passionate, intense, players will call me quite detailed. I want to create an energy within the stadium. That’s a real important connection. I’m excited to be on this journey.’
Tom Cleverley was speaking after Plymouth Argyle received a £65,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund to launch a new programme supporting women through perimenopause and menopause.
