New Plymouth Argyle role delights Gary Owers

FORMER FA Cup finalist Gary Owers is enjoying his new coaching role at Plymouth Argyle.

Owers, 44, has been working with the first team squad since the appointment of John Sheridan as the Pilgrims' boss earlier this month.

He arrived at Home Park last summer when taking on the role of head of coaching in Argyle's thriving youth set-up.

Owers believes he has got 'something to offer' as the Pilgrims fight against relegation from the Football League.

He has also been impressed with the 'first class' approach of the Argyle players in training.

Previously, Owers has been the assistant boss at Aldershot Town and had a spell as the first team coach at Championship club Bristol City last season.

One of Sheridan's first decisions as Argyle manager was to call on the assistance of Owers, who played for Sunderland when they lost to Liverpool in the 1992 FA Cup final.

Owers told Herald Sport: "I knew John a little bit. He came in and said, 'I would like you to work with us', which I'm pleased to do.

"I have worked with senior players in the past. It's something I'm comfortable and confident with.

"I certainly feel I have got something to offer between now and the end of the season."

Owers crossed paths with Sheridan during a playing career which saw him make more than 550 Football League appearances for Sunderland, Bristol City and Notts County.

He was later the manager of Bath City, Forest Green Rovers and Weston-super-Mare.

Owers was then the number two at Aldershot to Kevin Dillon from November 2009 to January 2011.

In their first season, the Shots finished in sixth spot in League Two, with Sheridan's Chesterfield in eighth.

During that campaign, Aldershot beat Chesterfield 1-0 at home and away.

Sheridan led Chesterfield to the League Two title in 2010/11 but Dillon was fired by Aldershot that January after a poor run of results and Owers went too.

Owers said: "I played against John, and over the years we have spent a little bit of time together with mutual friends.

"I was also the assistant manager at Aldershot when he was at Chesterfield. I always caught up with him and we said 'hello' to each other.

"He's aware of the fact I'm familiar with League Two, and I have had a little bit of success in terms of getting Aldershot to the play-offs on a very limited budget.

"He's obviously aware of my past experiences as well."

Owers was not involved with the first team squad at Argyle before Sheridan was appointed as the successor to former manager Carl Fletcher.

He said: "I wasn't part of anything that has happened before. That is water under the bridge.

"All I can say is from the second I have stepped out onto the training ground the players have been first class in their approach to everything we have done and their attitude.

"If they can take that onto the pitch between now and the end of the season I have got no doubt we will be fine."

Sheridan has been brought in on a short-term contract until the end of the season to try to steer Argyle to Football League safety.

Owers said: "John does it his own way. He knows what he wants. He's very focused on what we need to do."