The injury that was to eventually lead him to call time on his playing career ruled Tom Cleverley out the last time Watford played at Kenilworth Road.

It was April 1, 2023, and the fools that day were definitely the ones in the black and white striped away kit of the Hornets, as they folded meekly to a 2-0 defeat which actually flattered them and didn’t truly portray how much better Luton were.

Cleverley was at the game and in the dug-out though, invited by the then head coach Chris Wilder as part of integrating him more into the coaching aspects of football.

It was a grim afternoon for those from Hertfordshire, and Cleverley admitted it brought sharply into focus where Watford were then compared to when he signed permanently in 2017.

“For me that day at Luton was representative,” he reflected.

“When I came to this football club we were a Premier League team and I’m not sure where Luton were then, but it felt like the tables turned that day.

“I’m not purely driven by trying to be better than Luton, but if I can turn the tables back then it’d be something that gives me some joy.”

It would also bring much joy to Watford fans everywhere, who at the very least expect their team to put in a shift, unlike in April 2023.

That will call for plenty of character and spine, as well as the ability to balance the magnitude of the occasion with not going over the top.

“I think I’ve got enough experience in my team to make sure that’s managed in the game as well,” said Cleverley.

“We’ve got some really big leaders in our dressing room who have been in big derby games, played in finals, and those guys will definitely help manage any chaos from within, and I’ll be managing it from the touchline.

“It’s a game that you know as a player means a little bit more, and so there’s a little bit more on the line.

“Some players thrive on that, and I will pick a team on Saturday that I feel will thrive in that situation.

“Other players it can really effect, and it’s usually players who are lacking in confidence.

“I was at Kenilworth Rod two years ago and I saw how much they hurt us and how they did it and I’ll make sure my team are equipped so that’s not the case this time.”