Ex-Leeds United & West Brom man joins Watford ahead of Hornets' Elland Road visit
Former Leeds United player Paul Robinson has been named assistant coach at Championship rivals Watford
Former Leeds United, West Brom and Bolton Wanderers defender Paul Robinson has been named assistant coach at Watford ahead of next week’s clash at Elland Road.
The 45-year-old, who also spent large chunks of his career at Watford and Birmingham City, has joined the Hornets after first-team lead coach Javier Pereira left the club with immediate effect. Robinson joined Leeds, then managed by Neil Warnock, on loan from Bolton in the latter part of the 2011-12 season and made 10 appearances for the Whites before returning to his parent club.
He has coaching experience having worked on the backroom teams at Birmingham City and Millwall and will form part of the Watford staff when they face Leeds at Elland Road on Tuesday night.
“It’s a dream come true to come back to the club where it all started for me,” he told watfordfc.com of his decision to join Tom Cleverley’s backroom team. “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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Leeds and Watford are level on points after nine Championship games, but Daniel Farke’s side sit a place above their rivals due to a superior goal difference. The Whites host Sheffield United at Elland Road on Friday night while Watford face Luton Town in a derby clash. The pair then face off at Elland Road on Tuesday night, in a 7.45pm kick-off. Leeds have been in the market for a new midfielder ahead of their upcoming Championship games as injuries to Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev has seen them turn to the free agent market.