Steven Schumacher landed Plymouth Argyle transfer jackpot after Aston Villa decision | OneFootball

Finn Azaz was a class act for Plymouth Argyle after joining from Aston Villa during Steven Schumacher's time in charge of the Pilgrims.

Plymouth Argyle enjoyed success under the stewardship of former boss Steven Schumacher, who guided them to the League One title in 2023 - and there were some big transfer successes in that time.

The Pilgrims won a remarkable 101 points in the 2022/23 third-tier campaign, earning 31 victories to finish three points above Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town.

Schumacher remained with Argyle until December 2023, when he joined then Championship rivals Stoke City, where he would stay until being sacked in September 2024, following a loss against Oxford United.

Plymouth achieved second-tier survival in 2024 before suffering an unwanted League One return in 2025, finishing 23rd in the Championship after managerial turmoil which saw Wayne Rooney arrive at Home Park, and their struggles under the England icon were not able to be turned around by his successor Miron Muslic.

The good times had evaporated at the Devon outfit upon their relegation, but their return to the Championship in the first place was fuelled by a stunning loan signing that helped to move the club up the leagues.

Finn Azaz excelled at Plymouth Argyle after being signed by Steven Schumacher

Several talented players plied their trade for the Pilgrims during Schumacher's tenure in charge of the Devon club, including former Swansea City man Morgan Whittaker.

Argyle supporters will also fondly remember the exploits of fellow attacking midfielder Finn Azaz, who enjoyed two loan stints in Devon in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons before leaving Aston Villa in favour of a permanent move to Middlesbrough in January 2024.

The former Villa youngster initially showed his class in a League Two loan spell with Newport County, notching seven goals and seven assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for the South Wales outfit.

He seamlessly adjusted to the demands of League One after joining Plymouth in the summer of 2022, scoring eight goals and producing eight assists for the Home Park club, helping them on their way to the third-tier title.

Azaz was quick to endear himself to the Argyle faithful, scoring on his league debut in a 1-0 victory over Barnsley.

Another notable League One performance from the Ireland international came in January 2023, when he notched two assists in a 4-2 victory over Cheltenham Town after returning from an ankle injury.

Schumacher was delighted when Azaz returned for his second loan stint with Argyle ahead of their Championship campaign, as reported by BBC Sport: "It is great to have Finn back on board. He was another player who was so influential for us last season and was a huge part of the team that won the league.

"He scored some big goals and provided some assists at important times last season. His creativity and quick thinking will benefit us greatly in the Championship."

As it happened though, Azaz's exploits in Devon for the first half of that season would be detrimental to the club. After seven goals and five assists for Plymouth, the playmaker was recalled by Villa to be sold on to Middlesbrough - Simon Hallett and co simply couldn't compete with the financial muscle being utilised on Teesside.

As reported by Plymouth Live, even though he left the South West club midway through the campaign, Azaz won their 2023/24 goal of the season award for a side-foot volley in a 3-3 draw with Watford, which showed how much of an impact he really made.

Plymouth did remarkably well to secure 2023/24 Championship survival despite Finn Azaz and Steven Schumacher departures

Schumacher pulled off a stroke of genius in the transfer market by acquiring Azaz on loan from Villa, not once, but twice.

The Republic of Ireland international proved his worth for Plymouth in both League One and the Championship, scoring a total of 15 goals in a season-and-a-half at Home Park.

Therefore, the Argyle faithful were left concerned when Schumacher's December 2023 exit was followed by Azaz's departure in January 2024.

However, the Pilgrims defied the odds by finishing 21st in the 2023/24 Championship table, avoiding relegation by just one point at Birmingham City's expense.

Schumacher's successor, Ian Foster, was sacked by Plymouth following a poor run of form, which saw them win just one game in 11 league attempts.

Then, former director of football Neil Dewsnip took interim charge and steered his side clear of the relegation zone with a final-day victory over Hull City.

Argyle did well to avoid relegation following Schumacher and Azaz's departures, but their struggles after their respective exits provided further proof as to how good the Ireland international was at Home Park.