“He’s fiercely competitive”
18:23, 20 Jun 2025Updated 18:25, 20 Jun 2025
Adam Randell is introduced as a Bristol City player after signing from Plymouth Argyle – June 20, 2025(Image: Bristol City FC)
Bristol City’s new midfield signing Adam Randell has spent his entire football career at Plymouth Argyle, before joining the Ashton Gate side for an undisclosed fee on Friday.
So who better to let City fans know what kind of player they are getting than Plymouth Live’s Argyle reporter Chris Errington, who has watched the hometown hero blossom from teenage debutant to team captain over the past few years.
Randell’s departure from Home Park is another blow to Argyle after their relegation to League One, with striker Ryan Hardie leaving for Wrexham, and other Argyle players Mustapha Bundu, Dan Grimshaw and Jordan Houghton departing too.
So what are City fans in for when Adam Randell gets into the first team?
“Randell is more a defensive type midfielder, adept at picking the ball up from defenders and looking to set up attacks from deeper positions,” said Chris.
“Although not the biggest in terms of stature, he is strong in the tackle and fiercely competitive. He can shoot well from distance, and is a threat at free-kicks in and around the opposition penalty area. So probably the main criticism from his time at Argyle was that he did not score as many goals as he probably should have done,” he added.
Randell made his Argyle debut at the age of 18 in an EFL Trophy tie away to Newport County in November 2018, and went on a season-long loan in the 2020-21 season to Torquay United. “It was only after that he really started to come to prominence at his hometown club,” said Chris.
“He was a regular member of the squad which won the League One title in 2022/23 with 101 points, beating Ipswich Town into second spot by a couple of points, and during Argyle’s time in the Championship over the last two seasons he proved to be a very consistent performer for them.
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“Randell regularly captained Argyle in the Championship last term when Joe Edwards was out injured or not selected. For a player of his still relatively young age, that tells you a lot about his maturity and the level of respect he commands from his team-mates,” he added.
A spokesperson for Plymouth Argyle paid tribute to their young homegrown captain. “In a turbulent 2024/25, Randell was a standout performer in Argyle’s midfield, showing the reliability, tenacity and passion that has been his staple throughout his tenure,” he said.
“He is a superb professional and a true role model; a credit to Argyle’s Academy, and beyond. Good luck Rands,” he added.
Randell’s first game for City might well be back at Plymouth Argyle. City have booked a pre-season friendly at Home Park on Saturday July 26.