Sheridan leaves Argyle

Argyle have parted company with manager John Sheridan.

A club spokesman said John has reached a mutual agreement with the Pilgrims to cancel the final year of his three-year contract with immediate effect after he expressed a wish to relocate back to the north of England for family reasons.

Argyle owner and chairman James Brent paid tribute to John, who took up the reins at Home Park in January 2013 with Argyle languishing one place and one point outside the League 2 relegation zone.

In a statement, Brent said: “John has made a significant contribution to the Pilgrims’ cause, for which we will always be very grateful,” he said.

“Under his management, Argyle were brought back from the brink of relegation out of the Football League and were subsequently transformed into League 2 promotion contenders.

“Reaching the play-offs last season, two years after surviving the drop into non-league on the final day of the 2012-13 campaign, is an achievement of which John, his management team, and the players should rightly be proud.

“While we would have liked John to continue to plot Argyle’s course back up the Football League, we understand his reasons for wanting to leave and have agreed a mutual termination of his contract.

“Everyone at Home Park wishes John every success in his future career.

“The search for a new manager to take Argyle into the eagerly-anticipated 2015-16 season has already begun.

“The club will be making no further comment on that process until an appointment is made.”

John Sheridan said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have been Plymouth Argyle’s manager for the last two and half years, and I would like to thank the Board and the Green Army for supporting me wholeheartedly during my time at Home Park.

“I have thought long and hard about the decision I have reached and I hope people understand the reasons behind it.

“I believe that I leave the club in a far stronger position to reclaim its place at a higher level of the Football League than it was when I first arrived and I wish it nothing but continued success for the future.”