WARREN JOYCE

Born: 20 January 1965

Came from: Preston North End   Went to: Burnley

First game: 15 August 1992   Last game: 08 May 1993

Appearances: 40 (38/2)   Goals: 4

When the Shilton-McGovern management team were searching for a leader following relegation to the third tier in 1992, John McGovern recalled a bullish midfielder he had once managed during his short spell at Bolton. Warren Joyce had spent his entire career in the North-west when Argyle came calling – having made almost 400 appearances for Bolton and Preston respectively. He had earned the nickname 'Psycho' at Deepdale, but far from being a midfield enforcer, he also knew where the goal was and had more than 50 of them to his name. McGovern was delighted when Joyce became Argyle's first summer signing for £160,000, extolling his qualities as an all-round footballer and on-pitch leader.

In the end, the signing turned out to be a damp squib for all concerned. Joyce made just 30 league appearances for Argyle in a season of frustrating inconsistency for Shilton's men. Joyce was a dyed-in-the-wool northerner and hankered for a move back to his native North-west – so Argyle decided to cut their losses and sell him to Burnley for £140,000 in June 1993. The move would come back to haunt the Pilgrims, as Joyce played in both legs of the ill-fated playoff semi-final between the two clubs 11 months later, scoring the third goal in Burnley's decisive 3-1 second-leg victory at Home Park.