Plymouth Argyle: Celtic gamble was one to forget | OneFootball

Andre Blackman's nomadic career saw him stop at Home Park for six months in 2013

During their fallow period in the depths of League Two, Plymouth Argyle saw plenty of waifs and strays pass through their doors.

Players drafted in from non-league, others who were looking to rebuild their careers, and some who were in their last chance saloon, having been given ample opportunities to try and make it in the past.

Andre Blackman falls into the third of those categories, with the full-back struggling to cut it in the professional game, despite being hotly tipped for the top as a young star.

The Pilgrims ended up being just another brief stop for the player during his spiral down from Premier League academies to the part-time circuit just over a decade ago, with the Green Army left puzzled by the short-term signing.

Andre Blackman struggles to make the grade after Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham United upbringing

There was no doubting that Blackman had the quality within his boots to make it to the top, with Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur all deeming his talent worthy of having him on their books while he was a teenager.

Despite having rubbed shoulders with the likes of Freddie Ljungberg, Kanu and Robin van Persie in training, the defender earned himself something of a bad reputation during his early days; something that followed him around for much of his career.

"I had a bad stigma that followed me around, though. I just wanted someone to take a chance so I could show I wasn't who they thought I was,” he said to The Herald after joining Celtic back in 2012.

"People think I'm a guy with a temper, a short fuse.

"Once you've got that label, it's hard to shift it. The slightest thing could happen in training and people would say, 'There he goes again'.

"It's not a temper. At times someone could tell you something as a senior pro. If you're younger, you're not supposed to answer them back.

"I had my views and wanted to express them. Maybe I didn't put my points across in an orderly fashion. Everyone has their opinions. You can't change that, if that's how they see you."

It is hard to disagree with him about the hierarchal nature of a dressing room during his time growing up, with the toxic nature of the sport often shunning those who wish to speak out against it, as Blackman often found out to his chagrin.

As a result, teams rarely gave the prospect a chance, with 13 games for AFC Wimbledon under his belt before that move to the green and white side of Glasgow, but his ‘bad boy’ image showed no signs of letting up during his time in Scotland.

While he has praised Neil Lennon for helping him resurrect his career in the past, former England great Terry Butcher didn’t take a shine to him during a loan spell at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, with his poor attitude slammed by the former bloodstained bruiser as the temporary arrangement was terminated.

With his time at Celtic Park coming to a head in the summer of 2013, Blackman obviously had a taste for the green and white kit, with Argyle becoming his next destination.

Plymouth Argyle struggle to make Andre Blackman situation work

The left-back signed a six-month loan deal with John Sheridan’s side during the off-season, and looked like a player who could add something to the side during pre-season, as he strived to earn a longer deal.

But it didn’t take long for the former Chesterfield boss to change his mind over the summer addition, with back-to-back defeats at the start of the season seeing all trust broken between player and manager.

From then on, the substitutes’ bench became a familiar place for the 22-year-old for league fixtures, while he managed to get game time in the EFL Trophy, where he scored his first professional goal against Swindon Town.

That would prove to be the final hurrah for the player during his brief spell in Devon, with a quote from head coach Gary Owers upon his departure in January 2014 saying so much with so few words: "It’s never nice when you have to move on, but Andre is someone who has shown that he’s got ability and I hope, for his sake, he can find a new club and go on and show someone what he can really do."

While there was plenty of will from all around for him to do well, Blackman never fulfilled that promise, with spells at Blackpool, Crawley and Barnet to come before dropping into non-league before he reached 30.

It would be great to say the player rediscovered his love for the game during spells at Dulwich Hamlet etc. as he matured, but after being charged with grievous bodily harm in December 2024 after a street altercation, it is safe to say that any redemption tale is unlikely to be happening any time soon.