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Wayne Rooney makes Plymouth Argyle prediction about Adam Randell

Argyle midfielder Adam Randell passes the ball during the Championship match against Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday, November 9, 2024 - Photo: George Wass/PPAUK
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Wayne Rooney declared that Adam Randell will be Plymouth Argyle's future captain after he scored the equaliser in the Pilgrims' 1-1 draw with Derby County at Pride Park.

Randell, 24, wore the armband against Derby with Joe Edwards and Lewis Gibson both out injured while Jordan Houghton, who had been the skipper for the 1-0 midweek win against Portsmouth at Home Park, was on the substitutes' bench.

However, Rooney believes Randell will end up captaining his hometown club in his own right. The midfielder had been rated as 50-50 to play against Derby by the Pilgrims' boss after missing the previous two matches due to a thigh injury but he was passed fit and came up with his first goal in 10 months.

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His 41st minute free-kick which put Argyle level at 1-1, and subsequently earned them a point, took a deflection off Jerry Yates who was in the Derby wall but there was no disguising the joy of Randell as he celebrated in front of the jubilant travelling Green Army.

Rooney could have opted not to take any risks with Randell against Derby with a two-week international coming up but instead put him straight back in the starting line-up.

He said: "He's an important player for us. He joined in the session yesterday (Friday) and then we had to see how he recovered from that really. I spoke with the physios and, of course, with any player coming back from injury there is an element of risk.

"We felt it was such an important game for us if we could get him on the pitch we would do that. Thankfully, he has come through, he's fine, got 90 minutes and got a goal. I'm pleased for him."

On Randell wearing the armband against Derby, Rooney said: "He's Plymouth Argyle's future captain. I think he has got the right temperament, the right mindset.

"He's a local lad which is always important as well. Everything he has got as a player is what I like so, of course, in my opinion he's a future captain for the club."

Rooney added: "Players nowadays look after their bodies really well, they eat the right things and they are ready to come in. I had no issues with him playing 90 minutes it was just whether he got injured again."

Randell has now made a total of 144 appearances for Argyle and his equaliser against Derby was his 10th goal, and the first since a 1-1 draw away to Leeds United in the FA Cup in January.

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