from the Plymouth Herald:
Former Plymouth Argyle defender Paul Connolly has revealed he is holding talks with 'four or five' Championship clubs.
Connolly is leaving the Pilgrims on a Bosman transfer, seven years after making his debut for the club, aged only 17.
The right-back has confirmed Charlton Athletic are one of the clubs showing an interest in him.
And sources in the East Midlands believe Derby County - relegated from the Premier League this season - are also chasing the 24-year-old.
But Connolly stressed it could be another couple of weeks before he made a decision on who he would be playing for next season.
Connolly has also spoken of his sadness at leaving Argyle, and called on the Green Army to put their trust in manager Paul Sturrock.
He told Herald Sport: "I'm talking to four or five clubs and they are all in the Championship.
"One of them is Charlton. They have known I was going to be on a Bosman transfer for a long time.
"Now it's just a case of seeing some different training grounds and speaking to people over the next couple of weeks.
"Hopefully, I will get something sorted out soon and then I can get myself away on holiday."
Connolly made 177 first team appearances for Argyle and was part of their Division Two title-winning squad in 2003/04.
He admitted leaving Home Park had not been easy, but had feared his career would flounder unless he did so.
Connolly said: "It's a sad time for me because I have got so many friends in Plymouth, not just at the football club but in and around the city. I'm going to miss them.
"Argyle have been really good to me and gave me a stepping stone in life.
"I don't know what I would be doing now if I hadn't come down here as a scruffy 17-year-old from Liverpool. I can only think the worse.
"But I believe I need to move on so I can further my career.
"I have been here for eight years and for the last couple of seasons I could feel myself getting stale.
"I didn't want to stay here for too long and then be remembered for all the wrong reasons. I just decided it was time to leave.
"I want to experience being at a different football club, at a different training ground and with different team-mates."
Connolly was offered a new contract by Argyle in the early part of the season, but it did not come up to his expectations. He was prepared to leave Home Park in the January transfer window, so the Pilgrims could get a fee for him.
However, after talks with manager Paul Sturrock at the start of the New Year, he stayed put as Argyle pushed for a play-off place.
They ended up finishing outside the top six, but Connolly has no regrets about delaying his departure from Home Park until the end of the season.
He said: "I was offered a new contract in October or November, which I wasn't too happy with.
"It didn't really value my place in the side so I thought, 'okay, I will sit tight and see what happens'.
"I told the club I wanted to be sold in January, just so they could get a fee for me. It could have been around £150,000 to £200,000.
"But I had a long chat with the gaffer and the club's directors and, between us, it was sorted out that I would stay for the rest of the season.
"We were pushing for the play-offs at the time and the gaffer wanted to keep me, rather than sell me for not a lot of money. He thought it would be impossible to replace a good right-back at that stage of the season.
"He wanted to get service out of me, and I was fine with that. I phoned all the clubs who were interested in me then and told them I would be staying at Argyle until the summer."
Connolly was given his Argyle debut by Sturrock during the Scot's first spell as the Pilgrims' boss.
And the defender believes the club can continue to progress under Sturrock.
He said: "What the fans need to do is support Paul Sturrock and stick with him. I'm sure he will bring in the right sort of players. He has done it before and he can do it again."
Connolly continued: "Players come and go - that's part of football these days - but the fans stay the same. If they can turn Home Park back into a fortress I know teams will not enjoy coming down here."
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Comments
Large, I think you are confusing your Oggys and your Weegies - he's the one who lives in the West Country!
My greenie mates at Argyle tell me:
He's good on the overlap/good getting forward/decent cross.
But can't defend.........
Same attributes as Moo2, then.
Oh ......and this season managed to score his first ever league goal .... in 7 years as a professional.
Even the much maligned Gregor Alfordi, scored twice in 2 matches for us.
My verdict, based on gossip and proud ignorance:
No better than what we've got already.
His nickname at Argyle is ......."Shelly"
Apparently, he's a 25 year old Scouser who wears Shell suits lol
At this moment in time, now even, you are right. But I feel he'll be signed for next season, maybe on a season long loan. Remember, Parky was his old Colchester manager and loves him.
Now get back to work, Weegie. Us self-employed people can't afford to waste time on message boards .....!
Edit: forgot the smiley, Weegie. Sorry!
;o)
Halford won't stay we can't afford him.
Most financially practicable way.
I'm wasting time again, Weegie. Are you .........?
;o)
Still have to pay his wages and maybe a signing on or agent's fee. Pay him £XXXK PW and that another player you can't afford
Only if they are willing to pay their wages in full. Normally the club taking the player on loan pays some or all of the wages.
We might have to pay all or a big share of his wages......... but we'd have to pay around top of our club wage structure, anyway. And we wouldn't have to stump up the transfer fee, that Sunderland would otherwise demand.
Great going forward but according to my Greenie mates .....can't defend
No better than what we've already got.