Ralls hopes his experience can help Plymouth Argyle

Joe Ralls last played a competitive game in May

Joe Ralls hopes his experience can help Plymouth Argyle out of their current poor form.

The former Cardiff City captain has joined the Pilgrims on a short-term deal having left the Bluebirds in the summer after 15 years.

He joins an Argyle side that are in the League One relegation zone and have lost their last four matches.

"First and foremost I want to try and show what I can do on the pitch as a footballer myself, but also to try and help what is a young team," Ralls told BBC Radio Devon.

"When I was a young player I always looked to senior pros so you hope that I can be a player that can help them as well over the next couple of months. "

Ralls, 32, has been a Cardiff player for his whole career, making almost 450 appearances for the club.

He helped the Welsh side win promotion to the Premier League in 2018 and played 28 games in the top flight.

"Joe brings many things and a lot of them are exactly what we need right now," Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley said.

"His experience, how well he does the basics, his quality and there's a freshness about him.

"We're short on left-footers - you can see last weekend only Tolaj was a left-footed outfield player and Tolaj is not a set-piece taker.

"One thing we're lacking in the middle of the park is experience and that player that can really manage a football match, the tempo of the game, the referee, the opposition and it's where you need your best decision-makers.

"Joe has absolutely been brought through the door to help us straight away, but there will be other benefits and our young players he's a great person to have for them to learn."

Ralls ready to 'make new memories'

Joe Ralls last played against Plymouth Argyle on Boxing Day in 2023

Ralls admits that it will be strange to pull on a new club's shirt for the first time since a loan spell at then-Championship Yeovil Town 12 years ago.

But he feels he is ready for a new opportunity as Argyle try and salvage something from a difficult start to the season after relegation from the second tier in May.

"After 15 years if you move straight into another club it would have felt more strange than what it does now, but I've been ready for a little while now to try to get into something and get a fresh challenge and I'm just happy to have found the club now, and a great club in Argyle," he said.

Ralls has not played a game since Cardiff were beaten 4-2 by Norwich City on the final day of last season as the Bluebirds joined Argyle in being relegated.

But he has been training for the last few months with National League side Aldershot Town.

It means that while he does not have match sharpness, he is fit and can play straight away if needed.

"You're training, it's just without the games, that's the only thing that I'm missing, but I'm hoping I can quickly get up to speed," he said.

"Obviously, I'm coming into a new team, so I've got to get to know everyone, but I feel ready and hope that I can make an impact and help out as soon as possible.

"It's been a difficult few months for me, if I'm being totally honest with you. Throughout the week I was fine because I felt like a footballer, but come the weekend and you're watching the scores come in and you're not involved anywhere it was tough.

"I'm glad that's all that's all going to change now and I can be playing football, which is what I love to do, at a great club and I'm really excited for the games that we've got coming up."