Tom Cleverley says Oliver Irow has settled quickly at Plymouth, and the 20-year-old winger has given him a reason to say it. Irow has scored three goals in his past two matches for Plymouth, after hitting four in 17 League One games for Mansfield Town in the second half of last season.

Cleverley's view of Irow

"He's really confident, he really believes in himself that he can impact the games," Cleverley said to BBC Sport. "He knows that the lads and the fans and the staff have accepted him very quickly as a person and a player."

That kind of start is exactly what Plymouth wanted from the loan. Cleverley added that Irow should keep working hard now, have a good season in League One with them and then look towards the Championship next season.

Irow's earlier spell at Mansfield was useful context for that optimism. He finished the second half of last season with four goals in 17 League One games, and half of those came in his final two matches there.

The January clause around the loan

The reason this feels worth watching is the clause in Irow's season-long loan deal that would allow him to return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January. Cleverley said he stays in regular contact with Tottenham about the winger's development, and he also said both clubs are pleased so far.

Cleverley has seen enough loan spells go wrong to know the risk. "I've seen so many examples where parent clubs recall and then you're kicking yourself because he's gone to the new club and not played," he said.

Plymouth's own results have been uneven, with five listed as W-W-L-W-L, which makes Irow's burst even more noticeable. Mansfield's recent run has also been patchy at L-L-L-W-W, so the winger's current form is arriving in a mixed setting rather than a smooth one.

The key point is still simple enough. Irow has the confidence, the output and the trust of Plymouth's staff, and the only thing that can really slow the conversation now is whether that January clause ever gets tested.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →