Plymouth Argyle unearthed a "gem of a signing" for £0 - "fans loved him" | OneFootball

The playmaker went on to work wonders for Plymouth Argyle

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Plymouth Argyle have seen a raft of talent operate out of Home Park over the past decade.

Defenders such as Sonny Bradley and Joe Edwards have contributed to backlines of steel over the years, providing strong leadership which has allowed Argyle to fight for promotion on multiple occasions.

Midfield maestros like Antoni Sarcevic provided crucial goals for the Pilgrims as they climbed up the Football League, whilst goalkeeper Michael Cooper’s rise from academy prospect to first-team regular will have been another source of admiration for the Home Park faithful.

Ryan Hardie and Morgan Whittaker helped fire Argyle back into the Championship, and with their combined might, they managed to retain that status for a season too. Both of these forwards have continued to feature in the second-tier, highlighting the level of talent Plymouth had on their hands.

When considering the Pilgrims’ best operators in that timeframe, Football League World’s Plymouth Argyle fan pundit, Luke Hodge, has paid tribute to another one of the club’s standout stars in recent times.

Graham Carey an “integral part” of Plymouth Argyle’s modern success

“We absolutely struck gold with Graham Carey,” stated Luke. “We got him on a free transfer in 2015 from Ross County and he turned out to be an absolute gem of a signing.

“He was just an integral part of that period in Argyle's history; he loved the club and the fans loved him.

“You pay your money to go and watch that guy play.

“He’s a fantastic bloke, fantastic player and when you're talking about striking gold with players, then Carey is certainly up there in the top bracket for that one.”

Graham Carey was a superb performer for Plymouth Argyle

After arriving at Home Park in 2015, few would’ve predicted the lasting impact Carey would leave on the Plymouth Argyle supporters.

The attacking midfielder had failed to blow audiences away during his time in Scottish football, scoring just five goals in 63 appearances for Ross County before making the move to Plymouth.

However, Carey impressed immediately with his playmaking antics, netting 12 times and providing 11 assists during his first term in Devon.

Performances only improved from there, with his 30-goal contributions the following campaign playing a huge part in Argyle achieving promotion from League Two.

Remarkably, the Irishman raised his levels once again, bagging 16 goals whilst contributing 13 assists as the Pilgrims just missed out on a place in the third-tier play-offs.

These performances were attracting attention from abroad and Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia acquired Carey’s services in 2019. This provided the playmaker with the opportunity to showcase his talents in the Europa League, highlighting just how big of a talent Argyle had on their hands.

Carey enjoyed the best days of his career with Plymouth Argyle and used Home Park as the platform for him to really prove what he could do as a footballer.

The Pilgrims’ faithful will always remember him fondly, quick to recall the magnificent creative output he produced on a regular basis, during an exciting period in the club’s modern history.