Plymouth boss' 'excellent' Darko Gyabi verdict as Leeds United loanee makes debut impression

Plymouth Argyle boss Ian Foster has described Darko Gyabi's debut with the club on Saturday as 'excellent'. Gyabi only joined the Pilgrims on Thursday, moving to the Devon outfit on a loan until the end of the season, but he was thrown straight into the starting line-up to make a full debut at Huddersfield Town.

After struggling to catch the eye of Daniel Farke at Leeds United, Gyabi went over four months without picking up senior minutes at Elland Road. The midfielder kept sharp by representing the club's U21s, but he has been crying out for opportunities at first-team level and that's exactly what it seems he'll get at Plymouth.

Gyabi played the full 90 minutes at the John Smith's Stadium as the Pilgrims drew 1-1 with Huddersfield to claim a vital away point and the 19-year-old made an impression on his new manager it seems.

Speaking after the game in West Yorkshire, Foster took the opportunity to praise his debutant's performance against the Terriers, while also speaking highly of Ashley Phillips, who recently joined the club on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

“They were excellent, both of them,” Foster told the club's official website. “They fit in the group incredibly well and that’s credit to the other boys. We’ve welcomed them.

“I don’t look at birth certificates when I pick teams. They’re both teenagers coming into what is a very, very difficult game and I thought they both handled it really, really well.

“Ashley was solid throughout the game. I thought his in-possession game was good, and we’ve seen with Darko what he’s capable of. He’s full of energy. He wants to get on the ball, play forward and break lines.

“Those boys aren’t quite there in terms of match intensity at this level, so that’s great for them to get 90-plus minutes in the legs. They’ll be stronger for it next week.”