Everton-owned Tom Cleverley has made a strong start with Watford.
Watford’s Tom Cleverley in action with Burnley’s Andre Gray
Watford manager Walter Mazzarri has told Sky Sports that he has been ‘surprised’ by how well Tom Cleverley has performed since joining from Everton.
The Hornets had endured a miserable run of form towards the end of 2016, but they have now lost just one of their last five Premier League games – and that was Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Manchester United.
January signings have been vital for Watford, as attackers Mauro Zarate and M’Baye Niang – signed from Fiorentina and Milan respectively – have given Mazzarri a boost going forward, whilst also helping to get the best out of Troy Deeney.
Another player who arrived at Vicarage Road in January was midfielder Tom Cleverley, who penned a loan deal from Everton until the end of the season.
Cleverley, 27, had found first-team football hard to come by under Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park, and decided to re-join Watford having played for the club during a loan spell in the 2009-10 season, when he scored 11 goals in 33 goals for the club.
Cleverley has started Watford’s last five games, notching two assists for the Hornets having made a bright start to his second spell with the Hertfordshire side.
Watford manager Walter Mazzarri
Now, Watford manager Mazzarri has told Sky Sports that he has been ‘surprised’ by how good Cleverley has been for Watford, stating that he is a ‘great player’.
Mazzarri added that Cleverley looks like he has been playing for Watford for some time, and would like to make his move permanent at the end of the season if possible.
“I want to say Tom Cleverley has surprised me in a positive way in how well he managed to get in this environment,” said Mazzarri. “It seems like he has been playing for us since a long time. Of course it would make me very happy if he would stay here with us because he is not only a great player but we need him as well,” he added.
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