Never Say Never

Boateng, signed during pre-season on loan from Crystal Palace, went on to play 19 times before January, scoring twice. Boateng was able to position himself as a regular in the heart of the Argyle midfield through the first half of the season. 

However, despite attempts by Argyle to bring Hiram back to Devon for a second spell, Palace have opted to keep their future star for the time being. Boateng made his Premier League debut at the weekend, playing the closing stages of the Eagles’ 1-1 draw with Swansea. 

“He's come here, played a lot of first team matches and that’s aided his development,” said Derek. “He's only a young boy; 20 years of age. He’s still got a lot to improve on but he's got a lot of good - good character, he can pass the ball, take the ball, complete passes and score goals. That’s something he's going to do throughout his career.

“As long as that continues it’s good for him but we are still hopeful that will get him back here at some time. Never say never in football.

“He will always be welcome back here as he was an important member of the team.”