Watford legend Lloyd Doyley has returned to the club to be assistant coach of the Under-18s, where he will work with new lead coach Matt Bevans, who was most recently in charge of Watford Women.

Meanwhile another former player, who announced his retirement this week, Dan Gosling will  be the Under-21 Assistant Coach position, working alongside former Bournemouth teammate Charlie Daniels, who has been the Under-21 lead coach since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Doyley came through the club’s youth ranks before making his professional debut in 2001.

His 443 appearances for Watford mean he is fifth in the club’s all-time list.

Most recently Doyley has been on the coaching staff at Boreham Wood, and he’ll make a quick return to his old club as Watford visit them in pre-season.

New Under-18 lead coach Bevans was himself a Watford scholar from 2010 until 2013, before moving on to a playing career with the likes of Oxford United and Farnborough.

He has previously coached the club’s Under-16s team, and he was appointed Watford Women’s assistant coach two years ago.

When the Women’s former head Damon Lathrope stepped up to assist Tom Cleverley, Bevans took caretaker charge of the Golden Girls during the closing weeks of the 23/24 campaign.

Watford Observer: New Under-18s lead coach Matt Bevans.New Under-18s lead coach Matt Bevans. (Image: Andrew Waller Images)

Gosling joins the Under-21 set-up having played 37 times during two-and-a-half years at Watford.

The former Everton, Newcastle United and Bournemouth midfielder left Vicarage Road in the summer of 2023 and spent part of last season in League Two with Notts County.

Earlier today (Thursday) he took to social media to confirm he had decided to bring his playing career to an end.

Discussing the new appointments on the official club website, Academy Director Richard Johnson said: “With Tom Cleverley and Armand Kavaja jumping up to the first team, it left a few positions free and I couldn’t be more pleased in terms of the calibre of coaches we’re getting in.

“The fans will remember Lloyd fondly. He was a young lad coming through when I was playing here, so to see him back involved in a coaching capacity is fantastic.

“He’s had some good experiences at Boreham Wood and doing his own private coaching, and to have him around the club again will give a boost to everybody.

“It’s also great to have Matt back on board. He’s a very talented coach and he knows a lot of the players within the Under-18 group, so it will be a seamless transition.

“He did a fantastic job with the Under-16s and the women’s team and he understands the club, having come through as a Watford lad. To have that connection is fantastic for us.

Watford Observer: Dan Gosling's Instagram post announcing his retirement.Dan Gosling's Instagram post announcing his retirement. (Image: Instagram)

“We’ve supported Dan through his A Licence and he did a bit of coaching with us during the season that’s just finished, so it’s brilliant to have him back.

“He’s made the decision to retire and get involved with coaching full-time, so it’s a great coup for us. He’s played at the club and he understands the club, and we’re very lucky to have him.”