Oscar Threlkeld Returns to Argyle on Loan
OSCAR Threlkeld has signed for Argyle for the fourth time.
The defender, 25 next month, comes to Home Park on a temporary transfer for the rest of the season from Belgian top-flight side Waasland-Beveren.
Oscar moved to the continent from Argyle seven months ago, having made 96 appearances for the Greens after first becoming a Pilgrim in August 2015.
That initial loan from home-town Bolton Wanderers was something of a slow-burner. He made his Argyle debut as a substitute in the 3-2 Johnstone's Paint Trophy win over AFC Wimbledon in September, but, by the beginning of November, had made only seven appearances, all from the substitutes' bench.
However, a glut of injuries saw manager Derek Adams call Oscar into central midfield, and, for the next two and a half years, he was a regular first-teamer.
Following the expiry of his initial short-term loan, he signed a new temporary three-month deal in January 2016, which unfortunately ran out before the Pilgrims’ Sky Bet League Two play-off final against Wimbledon.
Supporters voted him runner-up to Hiram Boateng in the Young Player of the Season award and the increasing mutual love-affair between Oscar and the Green Army was renewed in July 2016, when he signed a permanent deal following his release by the Trotters.
He became an important part of the 2016-17 promotion-winning side, making 42 appearances across all competitions, but was initially unable to carry that into the following League One season after breaking a fibula in a Carabao Cup first-round tie at Bristol City and missing most of the first half of the campaign.
His return, as a virtual ever-present, coincided with a spectacular revival in the Pilgrims’ fortunes which saw them narrowly fail to make the play-offs and although Oscar was offered a renewed contract at the end of the campaign, he opted to pursue a long-held ambition to play abroad and joined Waasland-Beveren on a three-year deal early in the close season.
After playing in two of the East Flanders-based side’s first three matches of this campaign, he has featured in only two more Juliper League match-day squads, both as non-playing substitute.
The move is subject to completion of the usual formalities.
Welcome back to Home Park, Ozzie.