Argyle CEO is delighted with Schuey’s progress
Parkinson believes Pilgrims boss is ‘fulfilling’ his potential at Home Park
CHIEF executive officer Andrew Parkinson has commended Steven Schumacher for how he has risen to the challenge of managing Plymouth Argyle.
Schumacher has been rewarded for what Parkinson has described as ‘an incredibly positive 12 months’ with a two-year extension to his contract.
That ties the 38-year-old, who won back-to-back League One managerof-the-month awards for September and October, to Argyle until the end of the 2026/27 season.
While it is unlikely Schumacher (pictured) will stay at Home Park for that long should he continue to lead the Pilgrims to successful results, the contract extension protects one of the club’s most valuable assets.
Schumacher has led Argyle to a remarkable 86 points from 44 League One games since taking on his first managerial role after Ryan Lowe quit for Preston North End last December.
Parkinson said: “When we moved to appoint Steven a year ago, we saw the potential he possessed and believed he had the ability to flourish within our structure.
“It was clear to us that Steven had the tactical and coaching acumen to thrive in this environment, and we are delighted to see how he has risen to the challenge of leading the team.
“He often talks about his achievements being the result of the culture across the club, and he is absolutely correct, but he has been a big part of helping us drive forward. “The club and Steven have the opportunity to grow further together in what is an incredibly exciting time for Argyle. We are delighted to reward him for his efforts and look forward to building on an incredibly positive 12 months.”
Argyle are four points clear at the top of League One, and on a 14-game unbeaten run, ahead of their away match against Burton Albion on Saturday.
Director of football Neil Dewsnip admitted he was delighted that Schumacher had agreed to extend his contract. Dewsnip said: “This extension indicates that he sees his future at Plymouth Argyle, he wants to keep developing as a young manager and to achieve our collective goal of making Argyle a Championship team.
“I look forward to continuing my support to him on both a professional and personal level.”
Menwhile, there is still no timescale on when defender James Bolton could return to action from a long-term foot injury.
However, the 28-year-old is now able to carry out some running drills, and was set to take part in a session with midfielder Danny Mayor, who is recovering from a calf problem.
Bolton has not played for Argyle since he suffered a broken bone in his left foot during the 1-0 defeat at Ipswich Town in late March.
The former Portsmouth defender had a setback as he tried to rehab from that injury and that is why he has been sidelined for so long.