The Plymouth Argyle moment that made Tom Cleverley realise how good their supporters are - Andre Gray is involved | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley has spoken about the atmosphere which can be generated at Home Park

New Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley has referenced Andre Gray's dramatic equalising goal against Watford last season as a moment which made him realise the strength of the Home Park crowd.

The 35-year-old was handed a three-year contract in Devon last week following his recent dismissal in Hertfordshire, with the Greens looking to make an immediate return to the Championship, suffering relegation to League One despite a major upturn in form during last season's final weeks.

Cleverley remains one of the EFL's most highly-rated head coaches regardless of his departure from Vicarage Road after two stints as a player, as well as overseeing 59 games in charge which began during an interim spell in March 2024, becoming the 20th managerial casualty of the Pozzo family's 13-year reign in the boardroom.

However, with a critical yet exciting campaign brewing in PL2, the former Manchester United and England midfielder spoke about his knowledge of the Green Army's vociferous support during his first interview with official club channels.

Cleverley and Gray are a duo who know each other extremely well, with the striker joining Watford for a then-club-record £18.5m fee in 2017, just months after the new Argyle boss' second stint in Hertfordshire was made permanent from Everton.

They played together for the Hornets on 63 occasions, with Gray leaving in the summer of 2022 before returning to English football with Plymouth last summer on a short-term deal under Wayne Rooney.

The Wolverhampton-born forward made 13 appearances for the club and scored three times, with two of those coming in a pulsating 2-2 draw against his former club, an encounter which gave Cleverley first-hand experience of being among Pilgrims supporters due to a touchline ban, which he referenced among his first words at Home Park.

"As soon as I connected with people at the club, I knew this was a great move for me in my career. I feel like we're both craving real longevity and stability, and that's something that Argyle brings me. I can't wait to get started," he said.

"I’ve had two experiences of being inside Home Park and the atmosphere, once as a player and once as a coach. It was a little bit of a different experience as the head coach as I was suspended that game, so I was really in and amongst it.

"I saw Andre Gray’s equalising goal go in when I was heading from the director's box to the tunnel, and I was as in amongst it as you can possibly get, so I understand how important the atmosphere can be and how good it is here, how passionate people are and ultimately how much the football club behind us really galvanises this community and that's important to me," Cleverley added.

Gray equalised twice on the night in front of the Sky Sports cameras, initially cancelling out Vakoun Bayo's eighth-minute strike, before preserving a point in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time as Watford looked to hold on to a 2-1 lead which had been restored by Ryan Porteous.

Home form will be crucial if Plymouth Argyle are to mount League One promotion bid

Plymouth have already been named among the expected front-runners for promotion alongside fellow relegated sides Luton Town and Cardiff City, whilst Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers have also made early waves in the transfer market.

Ryan Hardie's departure to newly-promoted Championship side Wrexham came as an early blow to Cleverley, with the Scot netting double figures in all the past four campaigns at second and third-tier level, although excitement is brewing amid surprise news that Gareth Bale is fronting a potential takeover by a US-based consortium.

Argyle have already made four signings in the form of Bradley Ibrahim, Jack MacKenzie, Jamie Paterson as well as Caleb Watts from arch rivals Exeter City, with all representing shrewd business. This will have to be continued in order for the Greens to mount a promotion bid, as well as consistent form at Home Park.

Under Rooney and Muslic, the majority of the club's 46-point haul came in Devon (34). However, there's no getting away from the fact that in order to compete throughout the season, an end tally must be in the top bracket, and Cleverley must also get off to a fast start, with his first games in charge to be revealed next Thursday at 12PM.