Plymouth Argyle

FOR Gary Sawyer, the 2018-19 Sky Bet League One season was his fourth back at Home Park, following a five-year absence.

He can play in the heart of defence but is predominantly a left-back, and played both those roles over 49 games in all competitions in his first season back at Home Park. Sawyer originally signed as a professional at Home Park as a 17-year old in 2002 and went on to make 96 appearances between 2006-10.

Gary joined Weymouth on a short loan a year after graduating to the Greens’ pro ranks before spending two seasons on loan at then non-league Exeter City. He played 62 times for the Grecians – including both of their famous FA Cup ties against Manchester United – impressing Pilgrims’ boss Ian Holloway enough to become a regular feature in his Argyle team for the 2006-07 season.

Gary made the left-back position at Home Park his own, picking up the Most Promising Player of the Year award in the 2007-08 Championship campaign after playing 35 times, during which he netted the first of his five goals for the club. His most famous goal came in his final season at Home Park, 2009-10, when he netted the Boxing Day winner against Cardiff in the Bluebirds’ new Cardiff City Stadium.

Gary fell out of favour at Home Park and, after a loan spell with Bristol City in 2010, he joined Bristol Rovers on a two-year deal. A pair of impressive seasons with the Gas earned him a move to Leyton Orient, for who he played 69 times before being released in the summer of 2015.

An ever-present in two of three seasons, Gary has played 120 times since returning to Home Park following his departure from Orient.