Argyle's Pleguezuelo settling into life back home in the UK

DEFENDER Julio Pleguezuelo is Plymouth Argyle’s first-ever Spanish player but signing for the newly-promoted Championship club has seen him return to the country which he has made home.

- CHRIS ERRINGTON

Pleguezuelo, born in Palma on the island of Mallorca, joined Arsenal aged 16 in 2013 and spent the six years with the Gunners, although he did have a couple of loan spells at Spanish second division sides during that time.

When he moved to Dutch top flight club FC Twente in 2019 he retained his home in London, which is where his partner and their two young boys have been living.

So the opportunity to return to England to play for Argyle in the Championship was one he wanted to seize, even though Twente finished fifth in the Dutch Eredivisie last season and earned a place in the Europa Conference League second qualifying round.

Pleguezuelo, who speaks English fluently, was the perfect man to have around when his new club spent last week in Marbella’s hot Spanish sunshine for a pre-season training camp.

Argyle beat Scottish Premiership side Hearts 1-0 while they were out there, and then won 2-0 at Plymouth Parkway on Tuesday night.

Pleguezuelo told Herald Sport: “So far I’m loving every day. It was a nice time when we went in Marbella, a good training week. I thought we did pretty well against Hearts.