How is ex-Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Sturrock getting on these days? | OneFootball

The Scot led the Pilgrims to great success near the turn of the Century

Having engineered a Plymouth Argyle side that won two promotions in three seasons around the turn of the Century, Paul Sturrock is rightly revered as one of the greatest men to ever take to the Home Park dugout.

The former Pilgrims boss oversaw a period of sustained success during his time in Devon, with a rampant side claiming 102 points on the way to the fourth tier title in 2001/02, before adding another trophy to the cabinet with promotion to the Championship in 03/04.

Having left the club just days before that second promotion was secured to join Premier League Southampton, the Scot returned to the club three years later, as the Greens continued to battle in the second tier, before administration issues took hold.

The former Dundee United player is still regarded as a legend in the green half of the county, and was inducted as a Forever Green icon with the club over the summer, but what else is he up to now?

Paul Sturrock’s Plymouth Argyle legacy

Sturrock made the move to Home Park in October 2000, and took over a club who were languishing in the fourth tier, with three straight mid-table finishes seeing them head into the new Millennium in rather underwhelming fashion.

But during his first full season with the club, the Scot turned the Greens into a winning machine, with a mindset that saw them churn out victories on a regular basis in the old Division 3, with just six defeats all season on the way to that 102-point haul.

Conceding just 28 goals all season, the Pilgrims were something of an impenetrable force both home and away, and carried that form into the following season in the division above, with an impressive top-half finish proving as much.

After having the summer to regroup and adding the likes of David Norris, Tony Capaldi and Hasney Aljofree, the Greens went again in the season to follow, with a season-long battle with QPR and Bristol City at the top of the table making for quite the promotion race.

Alas, the call of the Premier League proved too much for Sturrock, who set sail for Southampton before the job was done, with Bobby Williamson overseeing the final few matches of the season, before taking the side into the second tier.

After stints at Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon Town, Sturrock returned to Home Park in November 2007, and initially carried on where he left off, with a tenth-placed finish in the Championship the club’s highest for two decades.

The season that followed saw a fight against relegation though, with the Pilgrims’ boss just about keeping the side in the division, before being removed from his role in December 2009.

With rather more ups than downs, the Scot is still considered a Pilgrims icon, and he set the club up for a trip to the second tier that created memories that will last a lifetime.

What is Paul Sturrock doing now?

Since his second departure from Home Park, Sturrock went on to spells at Southend United and Yeovil Town, before having roles at local non-league club Plymouth Parkway and former side Dundee United.

Having left the club over 15 years ago, the Scot is said to still live in the South West, and was honoured in the summer, as the 03/04 title-winning team reunited to celebrate their success 20 years on.

The former boss was inducted as a Forever Green icon for his achievements at the club two decades previous, which only cements his place in Home Park folklore even further.

Having turned 68 this year, Sturrock continues to live with Parkinson’s, after being diagnosed during his second stint as Argyle boss in 2008, something he believes has held him back in getting more jobs in the industry since.

Speaking last year to the Daily Record, he said: "The first time I was at Plymouth I picked up a cup one day from my breakfast table and my hand was shaking.

"I couldn't stop it so I talked to the club doctor who sent me to see a specialist and he told me I had Parkinson's.

“I just couldn't believe it. I went through the 'why me?' syndrome. As the seasons have rolled on I've got worse but, touch wood, it's not caught up with me totally.

"Certain chairmen have disregarded me because of that - I can see their point of view."

Having had his vision of setting up a village side near his Cornwall home scuppered due to Covid-19, Sturrock still continues to show an interest in the game, and still shows his face at Home Park from time to time.