Plymouth Argyle thought they'd bagged prolific international striker - He flopped massively at Home Park | OneFootball

Prolific MLS striker Kenny Cooper flopped when he joined Plymouth Argyle from 1860 Munich in 2010.

Plymouth Argyle won't fondly remember the signing of American forward Kenny Cooper from 1860 Munich in 2010, as he failed to score for the Pilgrims and played just seven times.

Between 2006 and 2009, Cooper was a prolific goalscorer out in the states with FC Dallas, netting 40 times in 90 appearances for the MLS outfit, before being sold to 1860 Munich.

The striker struggled for form in Germany, despite finding the back of the net on his debut for the club. This saw him on the chopping block come January 2010.

Paul Mariner's Plymouth were in the market for a striker, and decided to take a punt on the then-25-year-old, who was looking to prove his mettle in England, and try to earn a place in the squad for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.

Sadly, things didn't go to plan for Cooper and Argyle, as he returned to Germany after the loan spell with seven appearances and zero goals to his name, and no spot in the World Cup squad to boot.

Kenny Cooper failed to translate MLS form into English football

After a change of management in early December by the Pilgrims, the January transfer window would be crucial for new boss Mariner to try and steer the club away from the drop zone in the Championship.

One of these additions in the January window was prolific MLS forward Cooper, who had struggled for minutes after making a move to Germany the previous summer.

Argyle signed the American on a loan deal for the rest of the 2009-10 season, with hopes that he could replicate the form he showed across the pond, and bring some crucial goals to a team that looked destined for relegation.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way either Plymouth or Cooper hoped. The then-25-year-old made seven appearances in Green, scoring no goals and ultimately failing to prevent his new club from succumbing to the drop.

The Devon-based side finished the season in 23rd place, and fell well short of safety when all was said and done, as Crystal Palace in 21st had an eight-point buffer to Argyle.

Despite being a shrewd signing on paper, Cooper failed to replicate the form he showed in his native America, and was ultimately unable to contribute towards Plymouth's survival effort.

Cooper went on to enjoy success in America after failed Plymouth move

Following his disappointing loan spell at Home Park, Argyle had no interest in bringing the attacker back to Devon for their 2010-11 League One campaign, which saw him return to 1860 Munich.

Fast-forward six months and Cooper was already on his way back to the States, as he'd agreed to rejoin the MLS with Portland Timbers, bringing to an end a miserable stint in Europe.

He went on to enjoy some success back in his homeland, finding his goalscoring form again, especially in the year 2012 where he scored 19 goals in 37 appearances for New York Red Bulls.

Time back at FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders, and Montreal Impact followed before Cooper called time on his playing career in 2015.

The forward joined Plymouth hoping to stake his claim for a spot in the US national team, but he would never play for his country again, despite finding his form again upon his return to America.

As for Argyle, the story of Cooper serves as a cautionary tale about signing players who are unproven in English football when something as significant as relegation is on the cards.