PAUL Sturrock was welcomed back to Home Park in November 2007 after the departure of Leicester-bound Ian Holloway.

Sturrock, or 'Luggy' as he affectionately known, is somewhat of a hero in Plymouth after guiding the club to the Football League Third Division in the 2001-02 season.

As a player, Luggy was an out-and-out striker, scoring 109 times in a career spanning 385 games of Dundee United, where he spent his entire professional career.

Having had trials with both Morton and St Johnstone, Paul signed for Dundee United in July 1974 and made his debut in the European Cup Winners' Cup in September that year.

Despite making his debut in such a prestigious competition, he had to wait until April for his first goal when he netted a brace in a 2-2 draw with Glasgow Rangers. Sturrock finished the season having made 12 appearances, 12 from the bench and scoring six times. The next season he made 18 league appearances and netted three times.

The 1976-77 season saw Dundee United go from strength to strength - spurred on by the ever-present Sturrock as he played in all 36 league games and scored 15 times. He continued to be a regular and featured regularly in the club's European exploits.

1982-83 was Luggy's shining hour as a player. In a season that saw United lose only four league games and lift the Championship, Sturrock played 28 times and weighed in with eight goals.

Whilst all this was going on, Paul was also regularly appearing for the Scottish national side. In all Paul won 20 caps for his country, scoring three goals. He was an unused squad member at the 1982 World Cup in Spain before appearing twice in Mexico in 1986.

Sturrock's career finished in 1989 but he stayed on at Tannadice for the next five years as a coach.

After gaining a good reputation as a coach, Luggy was appointed manager of First Division St Johnstone in 1993. During his time at the club, he guided them to promotion in 1996-97.

When Paul was offered the Dundee United job in 1998, he could not resist the chance to go back to his old club and he joined them as manager. He made a bright start but resigned in August 2000 to take charge in his first spell at Argyle.

At the time, Argyle were on the verge of falling from the Football League but the Sturrock revolution had arrived and Paul began to build a team that in the following season would go on to lift the Third Division title with a record points total of 102.

In 2003, Argyle were at it again and were top of the Second Division with 12 games to go. However, Sturrock's managerial skills had alerted Southampton to the Scotsman and appointed him to succeed Gordon Strachan in March 2004.

Things did not go quite as well at St Mary's and Sturrock left the club in the August of the same year.

Next stop for Luggy was Sheffield Wednesday. In his first season in charge, he guided the Owls back to the Championship via the Play-offs thanks to a 4-2 extra-time win over Hartlepool at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. But after the slow start to the 06-07 season, Sturrock was relieved of his duties and in late October 2006, joined Swindon Town.

After guiding Swindon to promotion from League Two, Sturrock returned to Home Park in November 2007 as successor to Ian Holloway along with assistants Kevin Summerfield and John Blackley.