Some may see it as an opportunity to make new friends, while others will see it as a last-ditch effort when their careers are on the line.
To officially launch the Wayne Rooney era, Plymouth Argyle will face South African team Orlando Pirates on Spanish soil after traveling to Marbella for some warm weather training at the end of the week.
After their return to the UK, they will play away games against teams like Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham Town, where a number of players will be trying to make an impression on their new manager after last season’s results were wiped clean.
At the end of the transfer window, certain stars won’t be wearing green shirts.
end of August, though, and in this article, we examine four players who will probably be battling for their jobs this summer.
Tyreik Wright
Tyreik Wright has a very limited chance to have a preseason to remember and pull off the most unexpected U-turns of his Argyle career, even though this one already seems like a done deal.
The former Aston Villa player, who joined the Devon team in January 2023, has been a peripheral member of the team after making just six starts in his 18 months as a Pilgrim.
Although the 22-year-old boasts lightning-fast speed on the wings, his move to the West Country has never quite clicked. He was on loan at Bradford City for the second half of the previous season.
| Tyreik Wright’s Loan Spells | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Year | Appearances | Goal Contributions |
| Bradford City | 2023-24 | 15 | 2 |
| Bradford City | 2022-23 | 17 | 6 |
| Colchester United | 2021-22 | 18 | 1 |
| Salford City | 2021-22 | 12 | 1 |
| Walsall | 2020-21 | 16 | 3 |
The wide player appears to be at his happiest when he plays for the Yorkshire team, and the Bantams are eager to replicate that deal, according to a report published this summer by Sun journalist Alan Nixon.
During their tour to Europe, Rooney will probably hand the Republic of Ireland youth international the boot, but it appears as though Wright’s career at the team may already be written in stone.
Callum Wright
Like his namesake above, Callum Wright went from Blackpool to Argyle in January, although he hasn’t quite succeeded in breaking into the first team as he may have thought. In fact, the playmaker started just eight games in the previous season.
The 24-year-old returned to action for the final five games of the season after spending months out of the spotlight. In his first league start in three months, he helped Argyle defeat Rotherham United, which was a crucial win.
Similar to his experience with the Tangerines at Bloomfield Road, Wright has found it difficult to adjust to the step up in competition that the Championship offers. Wright contributed eight goals in 20 games during the Pilgrims’ successful League One campaign in 22–23.
Ben Waine
Ben Waine’s summer is clearly make-or-break for him, as the New Zealand international finds it difficult to adjust to the hardships of playing English football.
The Kiwi, who joined the team in January 2023 from Wellington Phoenix, has only scored three goals in 41 league games—just 10 of them have come from the opening whistle.
The 23-year-old can spot opportunities when they present themselves, but Ryan Hardie is a formidable opponent in the striking role, so Waine has occasionally shown irritated as he tries to take advantage of his opportunities.
The appointment of one of the greatest strikers in nation history as his new manager may probably
add fresh energy to the striker this summer, as Rooney is certain to have clear goals in mind for his offensive sources.
With only one year left on his contract, Argyle will need to decide whether to take advantage of him now or give him one more year to make up his mind about whether to exercise the one-year option on his present agreement.
He might very well return hungry for more and stake his claim for a regular spot in the squad after finding the back of the net during his summer international duty. A strong preseason could certainly assist in that regard.
Saxon Earley
With the young fullback suffering injury after injury in the previous season, and only being able to appear in one game all season, Saxon Earley’s situation is a difficult one this summer.
Since moving to Home Park eighteen months ago, the former Norwich City player has only played 412 league minutes. Once he regains full fitness, Argyle must be considering whether to let him go this summer.
Without a doubt, the 21-year-old is a top operator when it comes to his game, but there are still a lot of unknowns around his long-term availability, so he will need to show himself this summer or risk being left off the team.
If the Pilgrims still believe the young player has potential, a loan move might be the wisest course of action this summer for everyone concerned, especially with Nathanael Ogbeta about to arrive to create competition on the wings.
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