Cornish born, Wales youth international Freddie Issaka is the big hope of Plymouth Argyle’s academy. The teenager who spent the 2023/24 season on the fringes of the first team, splitting his time between senior and academy football, turns 18 just prior to the start of the 24/25 season and will be hoping for a breakout campaign.
Issaka, predominantly right footed, is capable of playing any attacking position across a front three, whether it be left wing, right wing or centrally. However, it’s inverted from the left flank where Issaka is most natural and it’s this area of the pitch that lends itself to him being a constant menace for his opponents.
Issaka is approximately 5ft10, carries himself with an upwards frame and has long legs which help him to display a lengthy stride. Issaka’s running style gives off Wilfred Zaha vibes and like Zaha, Issaka dribbles at pace with the ball seemingly glued to his right foot. He explodes from a slow, deliberate action to a short, sharp burst by standing his defender upright and then powering onto his right hand side, using his shoulders and arms to create distance between him and his marker.
The next stage in Issaka’s development will need to see him become more multidimensional when attacking his opponent. He currently favours attacking on his powerful right side and creating a shooting opportunity for himself. Trusting his pace and trickery to attack the full back in a more balanced way, inside and out, can only add to his attacking threat and if he masters his decision making in the final third by way of looking for a slide rule pass or maintaining possession instead of being too shot-happy then he’ll only add more strings to his already impressive bow.
Off the ball, Issaka carries himself with a youthful enthusiasm that is commendable and just needs to be harnessed. He presses willingly and his work rate is unquestionable. With maturity and education he can become a good cog in a well oiled machine.
The recent appointment of Wayne Rooney at Plymouth Argyle has come with promises from the new Head Coach and from the board that an emphasis on the pathway from academy football to the first team is a fundamental requirement for the club. If we take this at face value then that should mean a dramatic increase in minutes on the pitch for Freddie Issaka this coming season. He’s worth too much to the club on the balance sheet for them to not give him every opportunity to realise his obvious potential.
Target Scouting 