A Good Place To Be

ARGYLE manager John Sheridan has added his best wishes to the nine youngsters who have been offered apprenticeships by the club, but revealed that he had no say in their selection.

He was, instead, quite happy to leave the decision-making to Academy Manager Kevin Hodges and coach Shaun Taylor, who have made offers to Jack Calver, Cory Harvey, Owen Jones, Liam Knowles, Jake Miller, Billy Palfrey, Jamil Roberts, Benjamin Steer and Jason Vincent.

“It would be wrong of me if I went in and started picking who was coming in as an apprentice – I trust their decision,” he said.

“It’s now down to the lads. Good luck to them. There is a good group there and they have got to work very hard now. Obviously they will try to force their way in.

“I’ve been up to watch them a couple of times at the Academy and I know who’s coming in.  I’ve seen them play and there are one or two bright prospects.

“They will all believe. There are one or two young kids getting in our [first] team, like Ben [Purrington] and Tyler [Harvey] – even Nelse [Curtis Nelson] and Young [Luke Young] have got in the team when they were young.

“There’s a good opportunity. Plymouth’s a place where, if you are good young player, you have got a chance of getting in the team.”

John also spared a thought for those who were not offered an apprenticeship.

“It is very hard for kids who have been here for so long, five or six years or longer, and they get to the age of 16 and you tell them,” he said. “It’s very hard for the parents, who have travelled so many miles over the years with them.

“It’s a very hard thing to do, but it is something that goes on in football and something that has to be done.”