No incoming for 2 weeks?

Derek Adams may be holidaying in the United States over the next few weeks, but you can be assured his mobile phone will not be switched off at any stage.

As the Pilgrims look ahead to life in League One after promotion, the Scot will be well aware he has to pull together a stronger unit for the challenges ahead, especially after releasing nine senior pros last week.

Chief scout Greg Strong will own one of the most-dialled numbers in Adams's phone over the coming weeks and after last season's success in the transfer market confidence is high.

Speaking exclusively to Herald Sport ahead of Argyle's promotion parade, Strong said the recruitment process was already well-advanced ahead of the transfer window re-opening.

"We've had meetings. We're already quite down the line with that, it doesn't just start today," he said.

"We've got lists, we've got a database of players we've pulled together and now it's just a case of seeing who we can afford basically for the best we can get."

And would holidays get in the way? "We speak two or three times a day, so that bit's never a problem, but the hard work starts now," he said.

After taking in 16 new signings across last summer, many of which Strong had a key say in, the former Bolton Wanderers defender reflected especially favourably on the promotion-winning campaign.

"It was a really busy summer obviously with the recruitment, so we was ridiculously busy, but when you sit back now and you can reflect it's all been worth it," he said.

"All the hard work, all the miles, all the travelling, if it's played a little part in it it's been worth it."

Asked if he felt more pride than usual because of the quantity of players brought in last year, Strong said: "One hundred per cent because, I suppose, someone told me they were reading a book called The Man in the Shadows and it is [like that].

"They're great, the gaffer and the coaching staff, when I'm down here. They make me feel welcome and a big part of it.

"I was at our game, which is quite a rarity for me, on Saturday [at Grimsby Town] and I did feel a lot of pride thinking 'I've had a bit to do with helping recruit some of them boys and what they've achieved.'"

Much has been made by Adams and the 16/17 squad about the character of those players recruited, the fact there are no bad apples or troublemakers who have scuppered the bonding done on those long coach trips to away fixtures.

Strong, 41, accepts it is difficult to scout a player's character, but can call upon a vast network of contacts to do the best he can in pinning down the right mentalities.

"It is challenging, but you look at their past, you look at where they've been," he said.

"I've been fortunate enough to play for 17 clubs throughout my career, so I've got lots and lots of contacts that I can call on from all different variations.

"From players who've played with them, from coaches who have coached them, from managers who have coached them.

"And you don't go off one say-so, you do as much homework as you possibly can."

majority of deals get done in july mid June time so del's earned his holiday without worrying no one has signed just yet.,