Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher was 'made up' when Sunderland's Jay Matete opted to reject other offers and join his side on loan last week. Midfielder Matete joined the Black Cats from Fleetwood Town 12 months ago but had made only one league start for the this season and was one of the players Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray had hinted would be allowed to leave on loan to get regular gametime.
And on Friday evening his switch to Home Park until the end of the season was confirmed, and he made his debut the following day as a second half substitute in the Pilgrims' goalless League One draw at Bolton Wanderers. Schumacher says Matete had other options to move away from Wearside, but he was delighted that he chose to join table-toppers Plymouth in their bid to win promotion to the Championship.
"We always track people on performance data," said Schumacher. "Jay hasn't played loads of football this year for Sunderland.
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"It was one that he went there last January and you keep monitoring, and you wonder how he does. He went for a big real big fee and he went as a huge prospect.
"In the games I have watched him play for Sunderland he has done well. We were made aware that he might be available for a loan move early on in the week so I picked up the phone to his agent, who I know, straight away.
"I then picked up the phone to Jay and sorted a Zoom call out. I spoke to him about why we think he would be perfect for our team, what he would bring and convinced him to come here.
"He obviously had other options but wanted to part of our plan going forward, so I was made up that he came. It took a few days to get over the line, backwards and forwards with Sunderland, but he managed to meet us in the hotel [on Friday] night.
"I thought he did very well for us when he came on, with people who he doesn't know. He's a good player."
Matete has made 25 appearances in all competitions in his first 12 months at Sunderland. Mowbray said at the weekend that Matete had been due to play in Sunderland's FA Cup third round tie at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday until the chance to join Plymouth came along, but he was happy to sanction the move - although he will now look to add another central midfielder in this month's transfer window.
And he suggested that the loan move was agreed with a view to Matete returning to Sunderland at the end of the season ready to challenge for a place in the starting XI. "Jay was going to play today, he did the game prep but this deal came along and I've been telling him for a while that I think he should go and get 15 or 20 games consecutively," Mowbray said following the win at the New Meadow.
"He shouldn't stay here if it's going to be a substitute appearance every so often. Plymouth are a team right up at the top end of League One, if he goes there and plays he'll be much closer to being ready to play in our team and compete to play in our team.
"When the deal came in I said I felt it was a good one for him, and we took him out of the team. It's a good move for him and hopefully he does really well, helps them get promotion and then comes back a much more confident and ready footballer.
"We do now need a central midfielder I think, just to bring that competition."
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