He’s been head coach for one game, he’s tasted victory and he even got to sit at the front of the team bus!

However, Tom Cleverley will step out at Vicarage Road tonight as head coach for the first time.

The former midfielder graced the pitch many times as a player, but this time he’ll be in the dug-out and his workplace will be the technical area.

“Being honest, I’ve haven’t thought about it at all because I’m very tunnel-visioned on how to win the next game,” said Cleverley.

“But it will be a special moment, yeah.

“I had goosebumps when I was manager of the Under-18s at Vicarage Road in the FA Youth Cup against Man City.

“So I know it will be special but I can’t afford to let my focus go too far away from how we play the game.

“I’ve felt the support of everyone since I stepped into this role: fans, board, players, staff.

“The reception I got after the game at Birmingham from our fans was a bit special.

“When you retire as a player you wonder if you’ll ever get those moments back, so to have it only 10 months after retiring makes me feel very lucky.”

With only five home league wins this season, and none in nine games since November 28, Cleverley has a job on his hands to put smiles back on the faces of fans.

“One of our main aims between now and the end of the season is to make Vicarage Road a happier place,” he said.

“In the season when we last got promoted I think we had 19 home wins, and that is so key to having a successful season in this league.

“We want to get that feeling back, and rebuild that relationship with our supporters.

“I have always felt that the players and their performance are the catalyst which then can create the atmosphere.

“When you lose that atmosphere at home then it can snowball into a lack of confidence and we need to change the narrative.

“It can’t be a case of ‘it’s just another home game’. We need to try and change the atmosphere, and I think a new coach can help do that.

“It helps that we're playing one of those teams that fans can get excited about performing against.

“I’ve absolutely no doubt there will be a great atmosphere.”

Cleverley has experienced many great moments at Vicarage Road with the floodlights on.

“There’s been a few special games played under lights in my time at Watford,” he recalled.

“You think of the Liverpool win, beating Manchester United 4-1 – they might not have been night games but they were still games under lights.

“I was with Lloyd Doyley last week, and we were talking about that game against QPR and his goal.

“How times have changed because I can remember that night like it was yesterday and now I’m interim manager of the club.

“I scored the winner at Vicarage Road against Arsenal under lights, and a lot of the best moments of my career have come under the lights at The Vic.”