This season’s Argyle squad has a mix of players from past seasons, and many who have joined this summer – but there is a link between a trio that goes back a decade-and-a-half.
Somewhat incredibly, Matty Sorinola, Xavier Amaechi and Luca Ashby-Hammond – all 24 years old – were all part of the Fulham youth set-up from a very young age, and fate has now thrown them together at Home Park this season.
It is a season that has seen Sorinola, in pre-season and in the opening game of the campaign, against Barnsley, nominally line up as a right full-back, but in Head Coach Tom Cleverley’s system, he will often be seen operating further forward than the Green Army have previously seen him. It’s a role he seems to be relishing, particularly with old pal Amaechi ahead of him on the right side.
“I'm actually enjoying it quite a lot,” Matty told Argyle TV. “I'm happy to be in a higher role. I can link up with strikers, midfielders, Xav - or whoever's playing out wide. I'm enjoying it a lot.
“Me and Xav, we played together from under-8s to under-13s, maybe under-14s - then he went to Arsenal. We have history of playing together, although he used to be a left-back, not a winger!
“We got on very well back in the day. It's not like we were just teammates, we actually got along very well on and off the pitch, so it's nice to be playing with an old face.
“It’s the same with Luca as well. Luca was a striker! It's nice to be playing with people that you grew up with.
“We already know each other. We have a bond already so, when you're on the pitch, it just comes naturally that we play together, and we know what each other's going to do.”
The opening game saw Barnsley spoil Argyle’s party by beating the Pilgrims 3-1. There were moments of promise from Cleverley’s side, but ultimately they were undone by some lapses defensively.
“I feel like we conceded three gifts,” Sorinola said. “We gave them three goals, which can't happen moving forward.
“But I think there were a lot of positives in the performance. You can see new players working well together, and some of the patterns that we've been working on were also there to see.
“I think as bad as the goals were to give away, and disappointing to lose 3-1, there were some good things to take out the game.
“There's too many games to be dwelling on one game, so everyone's looking forward to the Bolton game, just a chance to put it right, really.”
At Bolton, this Saturday, Argyle will look to kick off their away fixtures in a positive manner, after a couple of years of struggles on the road.
“I feel like that's all in the past now,” said Matty. “I don't think it would be in any of the boys' memories. It's a new squad; a completely different squad.
“I feel like this year we're going to every away game - and every home game - thinking that we can win the game, not settling for a draw or thinking we're not going to come away with anything.
“They're a big club, but we are a big club as well, so we go into every game thinking that we can get the result.”
