Cosgrove Excited by Argyle Move
New Argyle signing Sam Cosgrove is no stranger to Sky Bet League One, having spent last season on loan at Shrewsbury Town and AFC Wimbledon.
Shrewsbury finished 18th, while Wimbledon were relegated, with Argyle finishing seventh having amassed 80 points.
Tall forward Cosgrove is excited to be part of a renewed Pilgrims push for the play-offs, and says that experiences playing against Argyle last season helped him make the decision to go for another loan spell away from parent club Birmingham City.
“As soon as I knew there was interest, it was something that piqued me straight away,” said Sam, 25. “I was lucky enough to play in the league last year, and I played against Argyle twice. They were an impressive outfit to say the least. When the opportunity came up to potentially come here, I knew it would be a great chance for me.
“It’s a chance to be fighting at the top end of the table. I know how good the boys were last year and I can see how well they’ve started this year. Hopefully I can add to that and be part of a successful side.
“Argyle are not a team I’ve come across too much being a northern lad – it’s the other end of the country! Both times I played Argyle I was mightily impressed. It was a shock to the system. That was echoed by what a good season you had last year, just missing out on the play-offs.
“I’ve spoken to the gaffer and he knows what he wants from me. At six-foot-five I’m probably classed as a target man, so hopefully I can complement the team in my way, but also I can adapt to the style of the team.
“I’m more of a modern-day number 9. I don’t think footballers can get away with just being a lump up top that’s not mobile. I work hard, I can run around and I have a few different sides to me, but for sure the physical side of being a traditional number 9 is my game.”
The most eye-catching spell for Cosgrove came in his three years at Aberdeen, in the Scottish Premiership, where he scored 47 goals in three seasons, and played Europa League football with the Dons.
His form at Pittodrie led to his move to Birmingham, and his spell at Aberdeen is clearly an experience that has affected him very positively.
“Scotland gets a bad rap down here for some reason,” Sam said. “There’s two sides to Scotland. There are smaller clubs in the league, but then you have the likes of Celtic and Rangers. The disparity is quite big.
“Some of the experiences I gained, playing in Europe, at Ibrox and Celtic Park in front of 60,000, they are footballing memories I will take with me. They are a good part of my career.”
The move to Home Park sees Cosgrove reunited with a figure from his formative years. As a schoolboy at Everton, he played under the watchful eye of Neil Dewsnip, the current Argyle Director of Football, who played a part in attracting Sam to Plymouth.
Sam said: “I worked with Neil when I was younger, when I was in high school, and he was heading up the Academy. I spoke to Neil before I came here, and he was extremely complementary of the club and of me, that was definitely a reason to come here.”
