Meet the opposition | Plymouth Argyle
As Swansea City prepare to face Plymouth Argyle at Home Park, we take a closer look at the Pilgrims.
What’s their story?
Plymouth were originally founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, they adopted their current name when they became fully professional in 1903.
The Pilgrims have had a number of highs and lows over their 138-year existence. They won several Third Division titles from the 1950s onwards but invariably seemed to suffered relegations shortly on the back of those successes.
Perhaps the lowest point of their existence, Argyle went into administration in 2011 while two successive relegations left them in League Two.
They were promoted to League One during the 2016-17 season, where they spent two seasons in the third tier before being relegated again in the 2018-2019 season.
However, they bounced back at the first attempt the following campaign, and were then promoted to the Championship in 2023 after winning the League One title and racking up 101 points.
They were in the relegation dogfight for much of last term, but managed to retain their second-tier status.
How’s their form?
Challenging. Plymouth have had their share of injury issues this season, which has played a part in them having won just one of their last nine Championship games.
They recently suffered heavy defeats to Norwich City and Bristol City, but it’s worth nothing that all five of their wins in all competitions this season have come on home turf.
Who’s the gaffer?
Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney. England’s all-time leading goal scorer was appointed Plymouth boss in the summer.
He has previous Championship managerial experience with Derby County and Birmingham City.
Rooney was still a player at the Rams when he initially formed part of a four-man interim coaching team put in charge of taking the team following the dismissal of Phillip Cocu.
Soon after, Rooney stepped down from playing and took sole charge of the team. He took over with the Rams six points adrift of safety.
A mixed season followed. Derby climbed as high as 18th and eight points clear of the drop at one point, but ended up surviving on the final day of the season by taking a point from relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
In the following campaign, Rooney led a valiant charge by the Rams as they sought to – but ultimately failed to- overcome a 21-point deduction owing to financial issues.
He left Pride Park that summer and had a spell in charge of MLS club DC United, before a difficult short stint as Birmingham boss last term.
As a player, Rooney is among the Premier League greats.
He scored a memorable first league goal for hometown club Everton against Arsenal when aged just 16 years, 11 months and 26 days old, making him one of the youngest Premier League goal scorers.
He went on to score a further 207 Premier for Everton and Manchester United - which puts him second on the list of all-time Premier League goal scorers.
After a trophy-laden 13 years at United, he had a second spell at Everton before joining DC United and eventually Derby.
Who’s the captain?
Joe Edwards. The 34-year-old joined the Pilgrims during the summer of 2019. Edwards originally started his Argyle career in midfield, but he has more recently taken up the position of wing-back, underlining his versatility.
Edwards has been part of two promotions, and was the club’s player of the season during the 2020-21 campaign, which also saw him take armband after a career-ending injury to defender Gary Sawyer.
Starting his career at Aston Villa, Gloucester-born Edwards has made over 450 appearances during his career, which has included spells at Yeovil Town, Colchester United, Walsall and now Plymouth.
Over 200 of those appearances have been for the Pilgrims, and he has scored 24 goals for the club over a five-year period, including the one to secure survival in victory over Hull at the end of last term.
However, he is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury. Adam Randell and Lewis Gibson have had the armband in his absence.
Who are the key men?
Veteran striker Andre Gray has made an impact amidst Plymouth’s injury issues after being snapped up as a free agent in October.
He already has three goals and an assist to his name, even though Argyle boss Rooney has admitted the Jamaica international is still finding his feet in terms of form and fitness.
The 33-year-old started his career with Shrewsbury Town, and went on to have spells with Telford, Hinckley United, Luton Town, Brentford, Burnley, Watford, Queens Park Rangers, Aris and Al-Riyadh.
He helped Luton to promotion back to the EFL in 2014, Burnley to the 2016 Championship title, and Watford to the 2019 FA Cup final, while he has won 13 caps for Jamaica.
Defender Lewis Gibson’s return from injury has been a timely boost for the Pilgrims.
The Everton academy product is starting his second season at Home Park, and had made a positive start to the season fore a thigh injury kept him out for the best part of two months.
After initially being among the youth ranks at Newcastle, Durham-born Gibson made the switch to Everton in 2017 and spent six years with the Goodison Park club.
He had loan spells with Fleetwood Town, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol Rovers, before being snapped up on a permanent deal by Plymouth following their promotion in 2023.