Stoke City decision handed Plymouth Argyle a club legend | OneFootball

The centre-back six years in Devon, making nearly 250 appearances for the club.

Plymouth Argyle have been on a rollercoaster of a journey over the last 15 years, seeing them go from the Championship to League Two and back to the second tier, where they remain at this moment in time.

The Devonshire club are one of the most well-supported in all the EFL, with fans travelling up and down the country following their team, and this support did not waiver despite their lowly league positions.

Players came and went during that time, but one who remained and stuck by the Pilgrims throughout some of their darkest days is still remembered fondly.

Curtis Nelson, who now stars for Derby County, made 246 appearances for Plymouth after leaving Stoke City as a youth player.

Nelson had spent seven years with the Potters, coming through the youth ranks, but was released in 2009 - a decision that the Greens certainly benefited from.

Nelson impressed despite his age and the team's demise

The centre-back joined the club in the very final days of Argyle's most recent Championship stint before their current one and watched on as the team were relegated to League One for the 2010/11 campaign.

He played 35 times in his first full season at Home Park but could do little to help the Pilgrims as they suffered a double relegation and found themselves in League Two for the first time since 2002 - when it was known as Division Three - winning the Young Player of the Year award in the process.

Nelson suffered an injury blow in the 2011/12 season, with a knee issue seeing his game-time severely disrupted, missing nearly five months of action, and only returning on the final day of the campaign as Plymouth barely survived.

The then 19-year-old continued to impress and was awarded with a contract extension, securing his future until the summer of 2014.

Argyle struggled to kick on and faced difficulties once again in League Two in their second season in the division, and once again finished 21st. However, for Nelson, it was an incredibly important year as he was awarded the captain's armband at just 19.

He was the youngest player since Norman Piper in 1967 to wear it, with it becoming a feature of his kit for his remaining years in Devon.

Plymouth started to improve as Nelson maintained fitness

The difficult thing to remember for managers and supporters was just how young Nelson was as he continued to show maturity beyond his years and Plymouth started to show improvements.

They finished 10th in the 2013/14 season, with Nelson receiving what proved to be his final contract extension at Home Park, with the Devon club locking him down until 2016.

It was the first time that he stayed fit throughout a campaign, and he played 44 times, as expectations grew ahead of his and his team's fourth season in the fourth tier.

Once again, they improved on their previous season's finishing position, this time reaching the play-offs. However, they were beaten by Wycombe Wanderers in both legs and were forced to watch from home as Southend United beat the Chairboys on penalties at Wembley.

Nevertheless, their failure gave them new motivation and Plymouth looked for an automatic return to League One. They did top the table through autumn and winter, but they struggled to maintain this position, and they dropped into the play-offs once again.

They went one step further and reached the final, and despite Nelson leading them out at Wembley, they were beaten by AFC Wimbledon.

It turned out to be the defender's final game as a Pilgrim as he joined Oxford United at the end of his deal, but fans will always remember just how much he gave to them, and they will always be thankful to Stoke for handing them a modern-day club legend.