When spoken to on Thursday, it is fair to say that Brendan Wiredu wished it was already Saturday.
The powerful midfielder, who is likely to make his debut when Argyle take on Barnsley at Home Park on Saturday, spoke to the press ahead of the season opener this weekend, and expressed his desire for hours and minutes to pass by swiftly, so he could walk out to the strains of Semper.
He said: “Words can’t describe [how much I’m looking forward to it]. I’m itching for it to get started, I want to get out there, play in front of the fans at Home Park, and hopefully start off well.
“I know the Argyle fans are going to push us all the way, so I’m looking forward to it. If I could get out there today, I’d get out there today!
“I’ve been here, and you can’t even hear yourself speak! It’s an intimidating place to come, and you want to create that.
“The way we will create that is through our performances, making them have something to cheer on.
“It’s a big club, with a big fanbase, and it’s something I wanted to be a part of. I think we can do something special.”
Wiredu is one of ten players who have joined Argyle thus far, this summer. He played plenty of games at centre-back for his previous team, Fleetwood Town, but it’s obvious that Argyle see him as a midfield player, and given Head Coach Tom Cleverley won England honours and a Premier League playing in that position, it is something Wiredu is keen to exploit.
“I think his attention to detail, and what he wants me to do, is perfect,” said Brendan, of Cleverley. “I can only learn from someone who has played at the level he has played at. It’s something I am going to keep chipping away at, learning through the season, and taking advice from him. I’d be a fool not to.”
Barnsley finished 12th in the division last season and will looking to improve on that under former Argyle midfielder Conor Hourihane, who is now in charge of the Tykes. Argyle, meanwhile, having been relegated last season, want to justify some of the talk that they could be among the division favourites.
“When you come to Plymouth Argyle, there’s pressure to be one of the teams up there,” Wiredu said. “People are going to be coming to us as the team to beat, but that’s something we have to relish, and actually be the team to beat, and show why people might think we are the team to beat.
“We’ve got lads who are young, experienced, who will relish the chance to be free and be the team to beat.
“We expect Barnsley to be a tough team to play against. They’ll come here, try to disrupt our flow. We’ve got a reputation, and everyone wants to be the ones to beat the team that have got the reputation. We need to stop that.
“We’re looking forward to the game. We know they’re going to come with their threats, but we’ve got to focus on our threats and what we can do to hurt them.”
