Both Damon Lathrope and Armand Kavaja will stay as part of Tom Cleverley’s permanent first-team staff, but Jimmy Gilligan is returning to his previous role of Academy Head of Technical Development

Lathrope is now assistant head coach while Kavaja becomes first-team development coach.

It’s also been confirmed that Cleverley will work with two first-team analysts: Michael Johnson and Chris Douglas.

The club are looking for someone to fill the Gilligan role, a more senior and experienced individual who can bring their knowledge to a coaching team that has a youthful feel.

At 34, Lathrope is the same age as Cleverley but his career came to an end a little earlier as a serious leg injury sustained playing for Woking against Boreham Wood in 2018 curtailed his playing activities before he was 30.

The Stevenage-born midfielder began his professional career with Norwich City but made the vast majority of his appearances for Torquay United.

He made more than 150 outings for the Gulls in two spells, initially in League Two between 2010 and 2014, and then in the National League from 2016 to 2018.

Lathrope also had spells as a player with Aldershot Town, Hereford United and Bishops Stortford.

After his injury he spent time as manager of Hitchin Town’s Under-19s and gained his UEFA A License.

Having worked in Watford’s Academy he became Assistant Coach of the Women’s team towards the end of the 2021/22 season, and then was appointed Head Coach in June 2022.

In his first season he steered the team to the National League South title and then won the Promotion Play-Off to take Watford Women back to the Championship.

Kavaja, who is a year older than Cleverley and Lathrope, has had three spells as Head Coach of Watford Women and was previously the club’s Under-18s assistant coach, where he worked with Cleverley this season.

The UEFA A License holder first joined Watford as an Academy coach and has worked alongside each age category, ranging from Under-9s to Under-16s.

The experienced assistant has previously coached the current crop of first-year scholars in younger age groups.