Former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley feels well equipped to launch a coaching career.

Cleverley hung up the boots earlier this year and is now working inside the Watford academy.

He told the Manchester Evening News: "It was when I came back to Watford really in about 2017 I realised the lack of direction some young players have and I was passionate about giving them a bit of direction and advice.

"When I came back down south was when I really got a passion for trying to improve players and improve people. So that's where the journey started.

"The standards that become second nature at United are what we strive for as an academy here. I've got really good academy management, who believe in the same things. Jimmy Gilligan actually worked close with Warren Joyce at Forest. I spoke to Paul McGuinness a little since I went into this side of things.

"I had a wide variety of managers. Some that I'll take a lot from, some little bits from, and some nothing from. I've been lucky really, obviously Sir Alex, I thought Marco Silva was top drawer. Nigel Pearson, Javi Gracia, whether one would put great training sessions on, one would give clear messages, one would have an unbelievable aura, one was a great man manager. I take a little bit from all of those."