PAUL Sturrock has won four promotions in six seasons in English football; he has risen to the challenge provided by the country's top managers; and he has steered clubs on a careful course through choppy financial waters.

But he has no doubt that that what lies ahead of him from today, when he resumes as Argyle manager three and a half years after leaving the club for Premiership Southampton and having stopped off at Sheffield and Swindon on route, is as tough as it gets.

"This will be the hardest job I've ever had to take over," he said, "but I am very, very pleased and looking forward to the challenge."

Luggy returned to Home Park on Tuesday, along with coaches Kevin Summerfield and John Blackley, to manage a side riding high in the Coca-Cola Championship, taking up the reins dropped in dramatic fashion by Ian Holloway last week.

It is a far cry from the position Argyle were in at the beginning of his first reign in October 2000, since when he has also been appointed to troubleshoot at Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon.

He said: "The bottom has been out of most of the clubs' trousers as far as the position they are in the league - all of a sudden, I'm taking over a team that's fourth in the Championship and flying. It's a difficult one.

"I do feel I have taken a difficult job because of the expectation-level.

"Plus, there's also the old onion that you should never go back to try again.

"But I feel very comfortable with coming back. I think I can fit right back in again, and the chairman and I have a relationship that means I am looking forward to working with him again.

"I'm just hoping to be honest, to make sure supporters know where I'm coming from."

It is precisely 1,363 days since Luggy's first hugely successful stint at Home Park ended when he followed Gordon Strachan at then Premiership Southampton, leaving behind him a team well on the way to a second title-win in three seasons.

Now he is back, aiming to complete unfinished business.

"There was no way I would have left for any other standard than the Premier League," he said. "I've been to the Show. I've had a wee taste. I've pitted my wits against the top men.

"I think everybody has that ambition in them. Had it been even another Championship team, I wouldn't even have contemplated leaving because I have a dream for this football club, a long-term dream to take it where it would like to go.

"From then on, politics has been very much a part of my problems at every football club. The one good thing that I have done since I've been away is that I pride myself that I have left teams I took over in a better shape than when I took them over.

"So, at least I've done a professional job at every club.

"At Southampton, I had Rupert Lowe, who things didn't work out with; at Sheffield Wednesday, I got promotion and then had a taste of the naughty side of football.

"Then, at Swindon, it's been very zany, getting promotion and then having four months of turmoil when people have been taking over the football club,then not taking over the football club. Finances were very low, there was an embargo of players so you can't sign anyone - then, you wake up last Sunday and, lo and behold, we're three points outside of the play-offs.

"It's been hard, hard, work, but very pleasing work, but I pride myself that I and my coaches have done the job asked of us at the football club. It's really been off the park that the problems have been at the three clubs I have been since."

Argyle have agreed a compensation package with Swindon, not only for Sturrock, but also Summers and Sloop, and Luggy is delighted to keep his loyal team together.

"They have done a fantastic job," he said. "I can trust them, and leave them to it because I know they are going to do things to the standard I would expect.

"Summers has got all the badges, now; Sloop has got all the experience, so it's worked very, very well. It's like what's happening on the football pitch - why break it when it's working?"

So, having been to the Show, will Paul Sturrock ever be a Premiership manager again?

"That's what we're down here for," he said. "At the end of the day, we're going to have a go. I can't promise you anything, but I can assure you that everybody on the staff will be working towards that.

"With the backing of the fans, which has always been fantastic, and the attitude and work-rate of the players, and a very strange league - everybody seems to beat everybody else - if we can turn the home form to be a real fortress, and continue the way the team is playing away from home, who knows what we can achieve?"