Remi's Win-Win Situation
ARGYLE goalkeeper Remi Matthews is loving life as a Pilgrim right now, and believes the Greens are in a ‘win-win’ situation as they chase the Sky Bet League One play off places.
Remi originally joined on an emergency loan deal when Kyle Letheren got injured away to Blackburn Rovers. With other professional goalkeepers Robbert te Loeke and Luke McCormick also unavailable, Remi came in, from Norwich, playing seven games and keeping four clean sheets, before himself then picking up an injury away to Portsmouth.
Having recovered, Matthews then re-joined the club following a lay-off just before the January transfer window on on a deal which saw him sign on loan until the end of the season The 24-year-old is enjoying being a Pilgrim for a second time,.
Remi said: “I have enjoyed every moment here. The ups and downs; the experience; and just racking up the games. That was the main thing for me; coming to a club that I knew had a lot of potential and just playing 20/30 games a season is massive for me and my career.
“The fans have been different class this season, To take 3,000 to an away game is unbelievable really and fair play to them. All we can ask is that they carry that on for the rest of the season.”
Remi’s stints at Home Park have allowed him to see all facets of Sky Bet League One life. Despite keeping goal in four wins in his opening septet of games, he departed Home Park with Argyle still bottom of the league.
On his return a month later they had crawled to 19th, and since then the rise to the edge of the play-offs has been meteoric.
“When I first came in it was a tough place,” said Matthews. “To see where we are at now, to where we were. We are in a win-win whether we make the play-off. At the end of the day the thing for us was to stay in the league. It looks like we are going to stay in the league now, but of course we want to make that play-off spot.
“There are two spaces available with five or six teams fighting for them. We want to get into one of those spots, but either way we can look at this season as being positive, as the main aim was to stay in the league and we have done that.”
Having been on loan to professional clubs prior to his move to Devon, Remi feels that his loan spell at Home Park has been his most valuable and successful this far.
“Every loan I have been on I have enjoyed it,” said Remi. “This one has been the most positive for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it in Scotland last year. I feel I did well and we stayed in the league which is the main thing.
“But, most of the teams I have been at we have been down fighting relegation. We were down there, but we are now fighting for a play off spot. It feels similar to an extent because you are fighting for something. I have not been in a team when you are mid-table and its ‘right lads, you are done; the seasons done’. But, this has definitely been a kick-on season for me.
“To get 20+ games in the space of four or five months is massive, and I am hoping that will make a difference, potentially, for next season - wherever that may be.
“My plan was to come in and play games and ideally go back and fight for the number one spot at Norwich. But, we all know how football works and how different things change, so I just have to keep myself ready and see what happens.”