Plymouth Argyle: Wayne Rooney must push for new Spurs agreement: View | OneFootball

With the managerial position finally filled at Home Park, attention can now turn towards the Plymouth Argyle playing staff for the upcoming campaign, with new boss Wayne Rooney set for a busy transfer window ahead.

The former Manchester United man was appointed as the Pilgrims' manager last weekend, as he steps into the shows vacated by Ian Foster after his dismissal in April.

With the Greens narrowly avoiding relegation from the Championship in the previous campaign, new recruits will be needed to bolster the squad to avoid a repeat of that next time around, as the new era begins in Devon.

Attention will also turn towards tempting a familiar face to return to the West Country for a second spell with the club, with Tottenham Hostpur loanee Ashley Phillips helping their cause in the second-half of last season.

Wayne Rooney must chase repeat of Ashley Phillips, Plymouth Argyle deal

Despite only being 18-years-old, Phillips took to life in the Championship with ease after his arrival from Spurs in January, as he featured 20 times for the Pilgrims at the heart of the backline.

With his ability to read the game belying his tender age, the former Blackburn Rovers man never looked out of place alongside the likes of Dan Scarr and Lewis Gibson in a back three, and continued to mature as the season progressed.

With the Greens’ season boiling down to the final game of the season, the centre back performed admirably with his teammates to keep out Hull City and claim the vital victory to keep them in the division, and proved his steely resolve in keeping the Tigers at bay.

Phillips’ performances in green have notably impressed the powers that be at Home Park, with director of football Neil Dewsnip already commenting that a repeat deal isn’t out of the question for the following campaign.

He said: “The loan players will obviously go back (to the parent clubs) but we are already in discussions to see if we can maybe access one or two of those to stay again next year, but we are very early in the discussions."

Argyle have had great joy in utilising the loan market to their advantage in recent years, with the likes of Morgan Whittaker, Bali Mumba and Finn Azaz coming through the doors and spearheading their recent rise back into the second tier.

The likes of Kaine Kesler-Hayden, Alfie Devine and Phillips helped the cause on a temporary basis in the previous campaign, and there is no doubt that the Devon side will be returning to the well this time around ahead of the next campaign.

Plymouth Argyle chairman Simon Hallett emphasises Wayne Rooney’s impact on young players

Plymouth Argyle chairman Simon Hallett has come out this week to explain the decision in recruiting Rooney for the role at Home Park, with the former Derby County man’s man-management skills a main factor in his appointment.

Hallett said: “When we embark on a manager search process, we have a list of attributes that we believe are desirable for any first-team coach or manager at Plymouth Argyle.

“Those include having some Championship experience - and Wayne has limited experience but at least it’s some - it’s about a willingness to use young players.

“Many managers are reluctant to take risks with young players, and Wayne - as an academy graduate himself - has shown pretty aggressively that he is prepared to use players from a pretty young age in the first team.”

Those quotes will be music to Phillips’ ears if he is weighing up a move to Home Park, with Argyle set to continue their stance of playing the best player for the position, regardless of age or experience.

A number of players have used their time in Devon as a springboard for a strong EFL career, and with the defender’s enthusiasm and willingness to learn, both player and club could benefit from another agreement being reached for the following campaign.

This could prove to be a very exciting season ahead for the Greens, and snapping up some of the most exciting young talent in the country could see them revert back to their swashbuckling style of play they started the previous campaign with.