Law McCabe’s loan at Plymouth Argyle has been terminated early after a difficult campaign
09:48, 05 Jan 2026Updated 12:38, 05 Jan 2026
Law McCabe of Plymouth Argyle(Image: Getty Images)
Law McCabe’s loan spell at Plymouth Argyle has been cut short, with the young midfielder returning to Middlesbrough.
McCabe had been due to spend the full season with the Pilgrims, but a difficult spell with the struggling League One club has resulted in the two clubs agreeing to end it early.
The 19-year-old England youth international managed just 13 appearances for Tom Cleverley’s side, only eight of which were starts. He will now return to Boro where he is likely to be given the opportunity to impress Kim Hellberg.
Explaining why the move hadn’t worked out, Cleverley told Devon-based reporters: “There’ll be some players who aren’t happy with the minutes they’re getting and might end up leaving this month.
“One that I can tell you definitely is that Law McCabe is going back to Middlesbrough. That will happen tomorrow. I’m sure Law will have learned a lot. It’s difficult when results are absolutely key and the situation we were in, it didn’t benefit Law.
“He couldn’t grow into the situation and we needed short-term results so we’re playing a little bit more direct than we visualised at the start of the season. Law suffered because of that.
“I think he’ll have learned the dark arts, and he goes back to Middlesbrough a more experienced player. He’ll be a top player in the future because he has very good attributes and great attitude.
“But, just for now, it was the other three that I needed in there, and the qualities that they bring.”
McCabe’s return to Boro means he will stay on Teesside for the remainder of the season. The young midfielder appeared for Boro in the Carabao Cup defeat to Doncaster Rovers at the start of the campaign, and has therefore already represented two clubs this season, meaning another loan is not possible.
Hellberg is likely to hand McCabe an opportunity to impress in training. Interestingly, he could even be drafted back in this weekend for the FA Cup tie at Fulham, despite representing Plymouth in an earlier round.
Changes to the rules this season mean that players are now permitted to play for two clubs in the season, with the goal of stopping players like McCabe being cup tied after loans.
With Boro well-stocked in midfield after Alex Gilbert’s resurgence under Hellberg – largely as a central midfielder – McCabe won’t find game-time easy in the second half of the season.
However, with Boro keen to strengthen their squad in this month’s transfer window, outgoings are needed to trim the squad and also balance the books.
If McCabe catches the eye upon his return, it could tempt Boro to recoup funds from parting with Gilbert and using McCabe as a fourth/fifth choice backup option. Gilbert’s stock has arguably never been higher after a couple of impressive performances upon his initial return to the side.
Heading into the transfer window, Boro’s EFL squad was at its maximum with 25 registered players. That was before Adilson Malanda was factored in, while Lukas Engel is also back and potentially being reintegrated too.
The 25-man squad list ceases to exist during the transfer window, but will need resubmitting at the end of the window on February 2. Still only 19, McCabe is eligible to play for Boro as an under-21 player and therefore doesn’t need to be on the EFL squad list.
Though he struggled to make an impression at Home Park, he was more a victim of circumstance and the Pilgrims’ relegation battle. Cleverley opted to change their style from a technical, possession-based one to a more direct approach. The environment and style of play at Boro could end up suiting him more.
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