SAYING goodbye to a manager is never easy, but for one man more than most Paul Sturrock's departure from the County Ground will have really hit home this week.

Blair Sturrock began his football career as a trainee under his father at Dundee United, and later followed him to Plymouth and Swindon.

So when Luggy informed the Town squad he was heading back to Devon for a second spell with Argyle, Blair could have been forgiven for feeling a little bit lonely.

Far from it.

Despite a lack of first team action this season the hard-working Scot is as determined as ever to win back his starting shirt, and has one eye on today's FA Cup clash with Forest Green Rovers.

He said: "I'm a Swindon player and I like it here.

"I want to keep working hard, keep my place here, and perform well for the club.

"I didn't really discuss it (Strurrock's move to Plymouth) with him because it's not my place.

"He's made his decision and I just have to get on with it.

"A lot of things have gone on this week, but my standard and workrate won't change for whoever comes in.

"Workrate is one of my things.

"If at the weekend we need somebody to turn Forest Green and keeping running and pressing them then I think I'm the man."

Caretaker boss Dave Byrne was giving nothing away in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, but refused to rule out a potential starting berth for Sturrock.

He said: "If we need someone to go over the top and in the channel I would maybe look at Blair or Kaid (Mohamed), because they are the two that would do that.

"If we want someone to bash the other team about you go with two big boys like Corr and Paynter and the other players feed off them."

Sturrock will be hoping Byrne and Ady Williams opt for the first tactic, giving him another chance to prove himself to the Town faithful.

He said: "It all depends what Budgie and Ady want to do.

"We'll look at their defence, see where their weaknesses are and try and work around that.

"I've seen a lot of these games in the FA Cup, if the League team doesn't turn up and exert themselves in the way they should and match the opposition for workrate, a lot of the time it's a tough task for them.

"Obviously we won't take anything for granted but we have to think we are the bigger team and go out there and put in a strong performance.

"If we do that, we've surely got to win."