Former Millwall coach and ex-West Bromwich defender joins Championship rivals Watford

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The Ex-Lions coach left The Den by mutual consent in November 2023

Millwall’s former coach Paul Robinson has joined Championship rivals Watford as Tom Cleverley’s assistant. Millwall, who currently sit 18th in the Championship, met Watford on the opening day of the 2024/25 Championship season with the Hornets winning 3-2. They are now not set to face each other again until the Lions head to Vicarage Road in March 2025.

Robinson first joined the Lions coaching staff in July 2021, forming part of Gary Rowett’s backroom team, but left his role as first-team coach by mutual consent in November 2023 after Rowett’s departure.

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The 45-year-old ex-Birmingham City footballer then signed a short-term deal with his former club at the end of last season as they unsuccessfully tried to fight to stay in the Championship. Now, however, he has been reunited with another former club over 20 years after parting ways with them as a player. He joins Cleverley - another ex-Hornets star - who was initially named interim head coach of Watford in Mach 2024, following the dismissal of Valerien Ismael.

A month later Cleverley was given the job on a permanent basis having lost just one of his seven matches in charge. Robinson started his playing career with Watford in 1996, making over 220 appearances for them. He left the Vicarage Road club in 2003 to join the Baggies before going on loan, and later signing a permanent deal, with Bolton Wanderers.

After a short stint on loan at Leeds in 2012, the one-time England Under-21 international headed to Birmingham City before ending his playing career in 2018.

Robinson joins Watford as they sit sixth in the Championship after the first nine games. The Hornets have secured five wins and one draw, most recently beating Middlesbrough 2-1 before the international break. The former defender’s first game back with the side will come this weekend as Watford travel to Kenilworth Road to take on Luton Town at 12:30 on Saturday 19 October. Millwall, on the other hand, take on Derby County at The Den at 3pm on Saturday.

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“It’s a dream come true to come back to the club where it all started for me,” he told watfordfc.com. “I’m absolutely delighted to get through the door and can’t wait to get started and help Tom and Damon [Lathrope], and try and move this club forward. Tom just picked the phone up and asked what I was doing. When Tom calls and Watford comes calling, it’s very hard to turn those opportunities down.

“It’s just an exciting time, it’s great to be a part of it. For me it was a no-brainer. You hear a lot of good things about what Tom’s doing and I want to be a part of that. I want to help him, I want to pass on my knowledge. I want to help the players as well, we’ve got a good group of players here.”

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