Plymouth Argyle: Simon Hallett could take action on player discarded by Wayne Rooney | OneFootball

The Spaniard could have convinced the Home Park hierarchy to offer him another deal soon

There have been many positives from the month that Miron Muslic has been in charge of Plymouth Argyle.

The 5-1 defeat of Millwall last time out was just the latest to add to the 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup, as well as impressive performances against West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland to pick up much-needed points at the bottom of the table.

Not only has the Austrian got this Argyle side working together as a unit, he is getting the best out of players that were seen as deadwood under Wayne Rooney, with plenty of redemption tales evident at Home Park over the past few weeks.

One of those flourishing since the start of the new year has been Julio Pleguezuelo, with the Spaniard playing for his future right now as time ticks down on his contract in Devon.

Julio Pleguezuelo shines for Plymouth Argyle after slow start to the season

Pleguezuelo was the forgotten man at the start of the 24/25 campaign, with Rooney only utilising the former Arsenal academy star in cup competitions for the first few months of the season.

Kornel Szucs, Lewis Gibson and Brendan Galloway were all preferred to the 2023 arrival, while Victor Palsson also earned game time before he was eventually thrown into the mix for the first time in October.

Even then it was a case of needs-must, with Joe Edwards’ hamstring giving out on him as Preston North End scored their third to go 3-0 up at Home Park, before Pleguezuelo entered the fray ahead of a dramatic comeback to earn a point.

Since then, the 28-year-old has been something of a regular when fitness has permitted, and earned his well-deserved moment in the spotlight as he netted a late equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Bristol City on New Year’s Day.

Not even the most dour of Argyle fan could begrudge the Spaniard for soaking up that moment, for he has been on his own personal journey of redemption in the past few months, and now looks to be a key part of the side that is battling against relegation going forward.

Since then, he has come into his own even more since Muslic’s arrival, as he lines up on the left-hand side of the back three, and continues to give his all for the green cause.

With new arrivals Nikola Katic and Maxi Tavolierov alongside him, he played his part in keeping the Premier League leaders at bay last weekend, as a disciplined performance across the backline thwarted the Reds in their tracks.

That win came at a cost for Pleguezuelo though, with an adductor issue seeing him have to sit the next few games out, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be champing at the bit to return to action before too long.

Julio Pleguezuelo performances could earn Plymouth Argyle contract extension

While it has been Maxi and Katic that have gained the praise for the recent upturn in results, Pleguezuelo has also played his part, and he will no doubt be hoping that his performances have done enough to start contract talks before too long.

The 28-year-old signed a two-year deal when joining the newly-promoted Pilgrims in 2023, meaning he is set to be a free agent in July this year if nothing changes.

Back in September, the Green Army would likely have waved the Spaniard on his way, but he has shown that he is more than up for the job in the last few months, and could easily be capable of being part of the squad in the future.

Much of that will depend on what division Argyle find themselves in though, but after their recent displays, that looks a who lot likelier to be in the second tier than the third compared to this time last month.

The Green Army aren’t a fanbase that want all that much from their players; just a desire to do all they can during their time in green and show that they are up for the fight when times get tough.

No one has proven that as much as Pleguezuelo recently, and that courage and determination is something you can’t buy. Whether Simon Hallett and co. see it the same way is another story entirely though, we will just have to wait and see.