OWEN DALE

Born: 01 November 1998

Came from: Oxford United   Went to: Oxford United

First game: 06 September 2025   Last game: 02 May 2026

Appearances: 32 (25/7)   Goals: 1

With Argyle's poor start to life back in League One in 2025-26, following relegation from the Championship the season before, winger Dale arrived as a late loan signing on the last day of the summer transfer window.

Born in Warrington, Dale was a product of the youth system at Crewe Alexandra and signed professional terms with them in March 2016. In five seasons at the club, split between Leagues One and Two, he made 109 appearances and scored 15 goals.

He topped and tailed his spell in Cheshire with loan periods. Early in his Alex career, he was loaned to Witton Albion of the Northern Premier League in 2017-18, making 25 appearances and scoring five goals. The following season he joined Conference North side Altrincham Town, playing 15 times and scoring three.

A contract extension clause was triggered by Crewe in June 2020. After scoring four goals in four games, he was named EFL League One Player of the Month for December 2020, and in Crewe's end-of-season awards, Dale won four prizes, including Player of the Season.

He then joined Championship side Blackpool in September 2021. This was initially reported as a £500,000 transfer deal, but was later confirmed as a loan, with the option to buy. However, he made just seven appearances, scoring once, and returned to Crewe in January 2022 unfit to play.

Later that month, he did indeed sign permanently for Blackpool for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract. He went on to make a further 40 appearances at Championship level, scoring five goals.

In August 2022, he joined League One Portsmouth on loan for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, making 50 appearances and scoring twice.

He then returned to Blackpool and made further appearances, mainly at wing-back. With under six months left on his contract, he moved to Oxford United in February 2024. In total, he made 30 appearances and scored once, and was part of their side that were promoted from League One to the Championship following a 2-0 Wembley play-off win over Bolton Wanderers.

With opportunities in Oxford's Championship season more limited than they had been in League One, in February 2025 he joined Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season, making 18 appearances and scoring once.

With an injury to Xavier Amaechi ruling him out until the New Year, Tom Cleverley made the need for a replacement wide player clear, and Dale duly arrived on a season-long loan on deadline day.

In signing on at Home Park, Dale became Argyle's 15th summer signing and third loanee, after Alex Mitchell and Law McCabe, of the season.

Dale proved to be a popular and useful addition to the side. He was a regular from the outset in Argyle's season of two halves, with the first part entrenched in the bottom four and the second seeing them post practically championship-winning form and almost make the play-offs on the last day. At many times during the season, particularly when the team were struggling, he often seemed to be the hardest-working player in the team, showing tremendous energy and setting a high bar for others. He scored his only goal for the club - a thumping strike in a 3-1 home win over Huddersfield Town in March 2026 - which was much lauded by fans for a player who had done more than enough to earn at least one goal in green.

He had also battled back from injury after suffering a grade three ligament injury to his ankle in mid-December 2025, which kept him out until the end of January, despite initial estimates suggesting it would be a three-month injury.

At the end of the season, he was released by Argyle and returned to parent club Oxford United, although his contract there was due to expire at the end of May 2026.

Throughout the summer there were rumours of Dale returning to the club, aided by him apparently remaining in the South West - with his newest child born in Derriford - and training locally. Tom Cleverley also maintained his warmth and interest in the player returning, but with Argyle's other summer transfers prioritised, a situation arose whereby the only likelihood of Dale re-signing would be if Argyle let other players go. However, with no significant outbound movement happening at Home Park, he signed for League Two Northampton Town on transfer deadline day in early September 2026, joining as a free agent on a 12-month deal.