Plymouth Argyle flop could have Home Park u-turn under Wayne Rooney: View | OneFootball

Callum Wright looks to be having a resurgence under the new Argyle boss

Highlights

Four months ago, it looked as if Callum Wright’s time at Plymouth Argyle was beginning to peter out, but with the new season less than a fortnight away, the playmaker has played himself back into contention at Home Park.

Having played his part in the Greens’ League One title-winning campaign in the 22/3 campaign, things proved to be a lot tougher for the former Blackpool man in the past 12 months, with just eight starts to his name.

The appointment of Ian Foster as Argyle boss turned out to be a deciding factor for the 24-year-old, as he featured just once in a league game under the former England youth boss, and looked consigned to the scrap heap as the summer loomed.

But after playing his part in the Pilgrims’ successful attempts to escape relegation in the final six matches of the campaign, Wright looks to have rediscovered his love for the game in the past few months, and Wayne Rooney can benefit as a result.

Callum Wright, Plymouth Argyle redemption story after Ian Foster’s lack of faith

Wright was largely a forgotten man for the majority of Foster’s time in charge at Home Park, with just four appearances in 2024 before his boss was shown the door with six matches remaining in the season.

As soon as Neil Dewsnip and Kevin Nancekivell took charge for the final stretch, Wright was immediately thrown back into the fold, with a strong performance against Rotherham United helping earn a priceless 1-0 win against the Millers.

After starting the next game against Queens Park Rangers that ended 1-1, further substitute appearances towards the end of the campaign saw him play his part in maintaining his side’s status as a second tier side, and the early signs seem to suggest that he has hit his stride ahead of the 24/25 campaign.

The former Cheltenham Town man netted in Argyle’s first pre-season outing of the summer in a 2-2 draw with Orlando Pirates during a training camp in Marbella, and has looked like a different player to the one that looked devoid of confidence during the past 12 months.

New boss Rooney will have given all of his players a clean slate after his arrival earlier in the summer, and that fresh start looks to have brought the best out of Wright, who could easily have been out the door had things stayed the same in Devon.

The weekend’s outing against Torquay United was another great sight to behold, as Wright continued to be a menace in the final third, with his powerful strike being parried, before Bali Mumba buried the rebound to get his side’s second in a 2-0 win.

Wayne Rooney tactical tweak could benefit Callum Wright

Since joining from Blackpool in the summer of 2023, Wright has largely been utilised in a wider area by Argyle, but Rooney’s switch to use him more centrally looks to be making an impact.

Rather than trying to beat defenders down the sidelines, the playmaker’s tricky feet in the middle of the park are helping to contribute to attacks differently, with his link-up play with his fellow forwards helping the Pilgrims look fluid when in positive positions.

With Ibrahim Cissoko on one side and Morgan Whittaker on the other - for the time being, anyway - Wright’s new role playing just behind the striker looks to have been a revelation from Rooney, with confidence riding high with the season-opener against Sheffield Wednesday on the horizon.

Whether Wright starts that match at Hillsborough remains to be seen, but few would have even have had him in their matchday squad for the 24/25 curtain-raiser a matter of months ago, which goes to show how far he has come in a short space of time.