"Put him into legendary status" - £600k Plymouth Argyle star compared to Romain Larrieu | OneFootball

Grimshaw has been compared to one of the Pilgrims' best goalkeepers in their history

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 goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw has drawn comparisons to ex-Pilgrims hero Romain Larrieu for his standout performances for the club since his summer move from Blackpool.

Grimshaw joined Argyle from the Tangerines for a reported £600k fee in August and has seized his chance to become Wayne Rooney's number one in recent weeks after an injury to Conor Hazard.

The 26-year-old was initially on Manchester City's books as a youngster, but never made a first-team appearance for the Citizens and joined Blackpool in 2021 after his contract had expired at the Etihad Stadium.

He made 96 appearances for Pool in his three years at the club, and was a standout in the second and third-tier as he quickly earned a reputation as one of the EFL's top shot-stoppers.

Grimshaw was not handed an automatic starting place upon his arrival at Home Park in the summer, but initial number one Hazard's ankle injury has seen him ruled out until December, and the 26-year-old has earned some high praise for his impressive performances since stepping up in his place.

Argyle fan pundit compares Dan Grimshaw to Romain Larrieu

Grimshaw has not yet kept a clean sheet in his 10 appearances in the league and cup for the Pilgrims, yet has been rightly applauded for some fine saves that have won them points in key games against Sunderland, Luton Town, and Blackburn Rovers, as well as his ability to play out from the back that makes him a fine fit for Wayne Rooney's system.

Sporting director Neil Dewsnip has previously claimed that Argyle have "landed on (their) feet" with the signing of Grimshaw, and FLW's resident Greens fan pundit, Chris, compared him to club legend Romain Larrieu after we asked him for a current player at the club who reminds him of a past top player.

“During Argyle’s long and established history, we have produced many players who we consider as legends," Chris told FLW.

“Names such as Tommy Tynan, Akos Buzsaky, as well as Paul Mariner, are some of the highlights.

“Looking at our current squad, there are plenty of players who emulate some of these legends, however, one player I would like to focus on is our goalkeeper, Dan Grimshaw.

“So far, he has shown a lot of quality in his shot-stopping, and also in his ability to play out from the back and get the ball running quickly.

“I believe these attributes are quite similar to one of our legendary goalkeepers, Romain Larrieu, our French goalkeeper, who is an Argyle legend.

“Often our number one between the sticks, he (displayed) his cat-like reflexes, and was always eager to get the ball going very quickly to help build up attacking play.

“These are characteristics which I see very much in Dan Grimshaw.

“I believe that, although his time here with Argyle has been short, those qualities will continue throughout his career here, and hopefully put him into legendary status within Argyle fans.”

Emulating Larrieu would make Grimshaw a Plymouth hero

Larrieu is a perfect example of not judging a new signing too early after he was initially brought to Argyle on a one-month trial contract following a six-month break from football after being able to make just one professional appearance at ASOA Valence in the French second-tier.

He soon became a fan-favourite as he earned a permanent contract at Home Park, and never really looked back in his next 11 years at the club.

Larrieu was surprisingly made first choice for the 2001/02 season, but the decision proved to be a masterstroke as Plymouth won the third-tier and he conceded just 28 goals while keeping 27 clean sheets and being named in the league's Team of the Year.

He continued as a regular in-between the sticks but suffered long-term injuries in the 2003/04 season as Argyle won another promotion to the Championship, yet soon became first-choice for the first time in the second tier in 2005/06.

Larrieu won the club's Player of the Season award for 2008/09 as Argyle avoided relegation to League One by five points, and he was lauded for greatly aiding their survival.

He remained at the club until 2012 as his influence lessened and the club dropped back to the fourth tier, and was named as the club's greatest-ever goalkeeper in a fan-nominated starting XI in 2019, so it is clear that he has not been forgotten in the time since his departure.

It goes without saying, but comparisons to Larrieu are the highest praise possible to Grimshaw from an Argyle point of view, and if he can come close to achieving what the Frenchman did at Home Park, that reported £600k fee paid in August will look like an absolute steal.