Friday morning gives Plymouth Argyle, Wayne Rooney reason to be cheerful: View | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney will have been pleased to see striker Ben Waine get on the scoresheet for New Zealand this week.

It has been an excellent few weeks for Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.

Wayne Rooney's time as Plymouth head coach got off to the worst possible start as his side were beaten 4-0 at Sheffield Wednesday on the opening weekend, but despite many tipping them for relegation, the Pilgrims have improved significantly in recent weeks.

Argyle secured their third win in five games with a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Home Park before the international break, with Morgan Whittaker scoring a 97th-minute winner to seal another three points.

Argyle currently sit 14th in the Championship table, four points clear of the relegation zone, and they will be looking to continue their strong form when they make the trip to face bottom side Cardiff City in South Wales next Saturday.

While Rooney will be fully focused on those who are currently at the club, he will no doubt have been pleased by striker Ben Waine's exploits this week while on international duty with New Zealand.

Ben Waine's New Zealand contribution is encouraging for Plymouth Argyle

Waine joined Plymouth from Wellington Phoenix in January 2023, and he scored two goals in nine appearances to help the club to the League One title after his arrival at Home Park.

The 23-year-old would have been hoping to establish himself as a regular in the Championship, and while he did manage to score five goals and provide one assist in 36 games last season, only 11 of those appearances came from the start.

Waine netted in the Pilgrims' 3-0 win over Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup first round in August, but with his game time in the league remaining limited under Rooney, he joined Mansfield Town on a season-long loan on the final day of the transfer window.

It has been a frustrating start to life at the One Call Stadium for Waine, but he scored his first goal for the Stags in their 2-0 win at Crawley Town earlier this month, and the fact that he was able to get on the scoresheet for New Zealand on Friday morning should help to improve his confidence further.

Waine came off the bench to score New Zealand's third goal in the 3-0 win over Tahiti in their opening World Cup qualifier, and Rooney will have been delighted to see one of Argyle's players shining on the international stage.

It may be difficult for Waine to displace Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood in the starting line-up, but after his goalscoring contribution as a substitute, he will be hoping for another chance to impress in the friendly against Malaysia on Monday morning.

Mansfield Town loan could be perfect for Ben Waine

Plymouth will have been keen for Waine to receive regular game time during his loan spell at Mansfield, but it has not worked out that way so far.

The impressive form of Stags strikers Will Evans and Lee Gregory, who have scored four and six goals respectively this season, has made it difficult for Waine to break into the team, but Gregory is now 36 years old and will be unable to play every game, so Waine will get plenty of opportunities to start over the course of the campaign.

It has been an outstanding start to life back in League One for Mansfield following their promotion from League Two last season, and they currently sit third in the table after picking up a remarkable 20 points from their first nine games.

The Stags are among the highest scorers in the third tier having netted 17 league goals already this campaign, so Waine will be provided with plenty of service by his team-mates, and working under a manager like Nigel Clough will be hugely beneficial for his development.

Waine is clearly a player with a lot of potential, and he could still have a big future ahead of him at Plymouth, so Rooney will be watching closely to see if he can replicate his international form at club level when he returns to Mansfield.