Watford captain Cleverley lifts the lid on life as an England player

Few go on to play professionally, and even fewer reach that pinnacle of an international call-up.

So, knowing what is happening out in Qatar at the team hotels and training sessions is something that the vast majority of football fans and players can only guess at.

Watford club captain Tom Cleverley was capped 13 times by England between August 2012 and November 2013, facing the likes of Brazil, Italy Germany and Scotland.

Cleverley's England debut, against Italy, in the number 10 shirt (Image: Action Images)

He experienced being part of the England camp, both for home games and when the team travelled overseas.

However, he was called up twice before actually getting onto the pitch for the senior team, and a very unfortunate set of circumstances left him thinking his England career might be over before it had even started!

“Going back to my first call-up, I think I actually found out on Sky Sports News,” he said.

“I think there was an official communication sent to the club, and your club secretary or manager might tell you, but I’m pretty sure the first I knew of it was from the TV.

“It was when Fabio Capello was manager, and back then there wasn’t that personal touch. If the club secretary didn’t call you quickly enough, you’d find out the squad on the TV like everyone else.

“I was in two squads under Capello and actually didn’t play either time. In fact, I thought my England debut was never going to happen because the night I was meant to make my first senior England start against Holland, the game got called off because of the London riots.

“I think I was going to start in midfield that night with Scott Parker and the game got called off. I remember thinking ‘You are joking me – what if I never get called up again?!’

“The second time around I was just happy to be there. I was 21 and I was around all the big names like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, plus my teammates from Man Utd. I didn’t make it onto the bench but I just enjoyed the experience.”

Cleverley’s first England cap came in a friendly against Italy just after he had turned 23 in 2012. So what happens when you head off on England duty?

“It’s very similar to what you experience on a pre-season tour with your club now,” he explained.

“You don’t take any of your own clothes or anything like that – after the last game with your club, you pack your boots and shin pads into a plastic bag and you give them to the England kit man and that’s it. They become the kit man’s responsibility and you are really well looked after.

“I used to take two pairs of studded boots, one pair of moulds and one pair of pads.”

As an aside, what were his favourite pair of boots of all time?

“I didn’t play in them in my senior career, but I think I’d have to say one of the Adidas Predators. I can’t remember which model, but they were the most iconic and probably my favourite boot.”

Apart from boots and shin pads, England players travel pretty light.

“You take your wash bag, your electronics, that’s about it. The hotels were brilliant, and they’d set up a little games room for us, a sort of social room.

“When I started becoming part of the England squad, the North/South divide was just coming to an end. Before that the United and Liverpool lads would stick together, and so would the Arsenal and Chelsea lads.

“But nowadays you don’t see those divides in the camp, and I think’s one of the reasons why the team has been more successful recently. Everyone is pleased to be together and there are no cliques.”

National managers only get limited time with their players, so they tend to be involved in most of the work on the training pitch.

Tom Cleverley in England training. (Image: Action Images)

“From my experience the England manager is on the training pitch with you every day,” said Cleverley.

“Roy Hodgson was very hands on, and he had Ray Lewington with him who would work more with the flair players.

“Whenever we did team sessions Roy was very hands on, and always organised the team.

“The Roy I worked with at England was pretty much the same as the Roy I worked with at Watford. His methods and style of play were very similar.”

Outside of training and playing, the aforementioned social room was a major venue for the players.

“In the social room the lads played a lot of table tennis when I was there. I had some epic battles with Jordan Henderson and Rio Ferdinand was very competitive.

“There was a pool table and a dart board, and I remember Joe Hart being good at darts. Phil Jagielka was also very good at darts actually.”

One aspect of England trips that might surprise people is that the players did not ‘room’ with each other.

“We were always single rooms, and that’s pretty consistent in club football nowadays,” explained Cleverley.

“When I played in the England Under-21s you shared a room with a teammate, and I quite liked that. Danny Welbeck was always my roommate.

“Once you went into the senior squad, you had your own room. Every room at St George’s Park (the FA’s national football in Staffordshire) was football themed, and I’m pretty sure the senior players got the best rooms!

“So having a room to yourself you could watch TV, you’d get through a lot of box sets. If you’re on a two-game away trip it’s quite hard to pass the time. I never played in a tournament so I expect that’s even harder.

“Roy wasn’t a manager who held a lot of meetings so you’d often end up with every afternoon free. It was quite boring really.

“We couldn’t play golf or anything, and there were very few occasions where we’d leave the hotel.”

England training with Raheem Sterling and Wayne Rooney (Image: Action Images)

Other than the social room, there was another spot where players would hang out.

“One place where all the players congregate is the massage room. You’d have three players on the beds, four or five more sitting on the floor, all the masseurs and physios – it was the hub of down time really. That’s where we’d exchange stories, have a laugh and relax.”

Having said the hotels were brilliant, when pushed Cleverley did admit that some of the places he stayed with England on away trips were not the best.

“There were a couple of stinkers actually! Moldova wasn’t a great one actually. I remember the hotel in San Marino was on the coast so we had a walk down the beach.

“My debut in Italy was at neutral ground in Switzerland, and I can’t remember why, where we stayed or which club’s ground we played at either.”

Communication with home was fine, but while Cleverley was on England duty, there were none of the famous visits by the ‘WAGS’.

“Phone calls are fine, there’s no restrictions,” he said.

“But you’d rarely see any family members at the hotel. I don’t know if rules change at a tournament. Every manager has their own preferences.

“Again, it’s like a pre-season tour with your club. You’d ring your wife, girlfriend, kids, whatever.”

As for dining, that was a group experience with a strict menu – except for the odd treat.

“Every meal is eaten as a team in the dining room, and that room will be allocated to the team.

“There wasn’t much variation in the food, but when we stayed at The Grove (in Watford) before home games the manager (Hodgson) would let us eat once during the week in The Glasshouse, which is an amazing buffet.

“If we were there for a week because we had two games, we’d have 20 meals in the team dining room and then one meal in The Glasshouse, which the players all loved as a bit of a treat.

“The food in the team dining room wouldn’t be too bad in terms of choice. You’d have white fish, another fish, a white meat, a red meat and then salads. It was top food, you couldn’t complain.

“In terms of drinks, it was water and sports drinks. Some of the lads liked these electrolyte tablets which give water a bit of flavour.

“There were no fizzy drinks and I never saw alcoholic drinks at all on international duty.”

Although they are ensconced in their hotel, media coverage of England’s exploits generally do reach the players, even if they and the manager do their best to avoid it.

“It was hard not to see the coverage, but I’ve learned through my career to try and steer clear of it. Roy Hodgson was very big on not having papers around the players.

“It’s hard though: you’re playing for the senior men’s team in the national sport. You virtually cannot steer clear of every bit of press coverage.”

Each of his 13 England appearances earned him an actual, physical cap.

“Yeah, you get actual caps. I’ve got 11 of them up in the office in my house, and my Mum has one and my Dad has one.

“Probably one regret I’ve got is I never swapped shirts with players on England duty. I’ve not got one of those collections where you get all your shirts framed and put up around the house.

“I’ve got a box in my wardrobe that has some of my favourite ones in but I can’t remember any international ones and that’s a shame because I played against Brazil, Italy, Germany.

Cleverley in action against Germany's Mario Gotze (Image: Action Images)

“I played against Ronaldinho for Brazil, Toni Kroos against Germany, Daniele de Rossi was in midfield for Italy. I missed opportunities there really, not getting something from such iconic players.

“The night I played against Sweden, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored that wonder overhead goal.

“The England teams I played in had a lot of great players as well: Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard. When I tell my son when he’s old enough to understand, I think he might think I was a better player than I actually was!”

He may not have shirts, but Cleverley does have some superb pictures.

“I’ve got some great photos of me wearing number 10 for England, and right behind me are Zlatan and Gerrard. Against Brazil, Joe Hart saved a penalty from Ronaldinho and I picked up the rebound, and there’s a picture with all three of us in it.

Cleverley in action for England against Brazil at Wembley. (Image: Action Images)

“I do have cracking photos with some absolute legends and they are great memories to have.

“I haven’t got a room full of stuff yet. Maybe it’s something I’ll do when me and my family decide where our future home is going to be when I finish playing football.

“It’s a career where you might have to move somewhere at any given point, so we’re still in rented accommodation. Once we settle down, I might have a memorabilia room.”

Of course, physical memorabilia is one thing – but what international footballers have, which nobody else does, is their own personal memories of those games and occasions.

“My best memory was the morning where Roy Hodgson told me I’d be starting against Italy,” said Cleverley.

“Just ringing my Mum and Dad to say I’d be wearing the number 10 for England, that was the best feeling I had as an England player.

“When I think back to my dreams as a kid, a lot of people talk about tournaments. The thing for me that captured my imagination were the Man U/Arsenal games at Old Trafford and Highbury. Growing up, they were the pinnacle of football for me.

“So to then play for Man Utd in those games was special. I’d never dared to dream of playing for my country.

“I still didn’t believe it would happen until I’d crossed the white line – especially after that game against Holland had been cancelled!”

On England duty with Gerrard, Hart and Rooney (Image: Action Images)

Now 33 and with almost 400 club appearances to his name, Cleverley can look back on his 13 England caps and make a very honest admission.

“The England games were the one time in my career where I felt nerves got the better of me. I started well in the first couple against Italy and Moldova, but after that I felt genuinely nervous. More nervous than I felt in cup finals.

“I was okay in those first two, but then I had a real bad game against Ukraine at Wembley, and I think it made me realise how much press attention the England games get. You aren’t just letting the fans of one club down, you’re letting the whole nation of football fans down.

“I’m still really proud, though, to have played 13 times for my country.”