Friday 29 October 2010

KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU

This time last week, Plymouth Argyle loanee Conor Clifford hadn't even trained with his new team-mates- nevermind played alongside them.

The following day saw the Republic of Ireland Under-21 midfielder, who arrived at Home Park on a youth loan from Chelsea, make his Argyle debut in the Pilgrims 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town and was amongst the stand down performers for Argyle.

An FA Youth Cup winner with the Blues last season, Conor is unsurprisingly some way down in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge at the moment and an arrangement such as the one he currently has with the Pilgrims will be of great benefit to his future career prospects.

He is currently available for another five matches before his current loan expires and he has already stated that he wishes to stay beyond the initial one month deal agreed between the two clubs.

Even though last Saturday was a case of him getting to know his new team-mates, there was one member of the Pilgrims squad  that he was more than familiar with and that was his fellow Eire Under-21 colleague Joe Mason. In his last appearance for the Republic last month against Turkey, he was replaced by Mason during the closing stages of the match.