Steve Schumacher: Plymouth Argyle at 'the start of his journey' one year into the role
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Despite only a year in charge of Plymouth Argyle Steven Schumacher is already the 12th longest-serving manager in League One
Plymouth Argyle manager Steve Schumacher says he is only at "the start of his journey" as he celebrates a year in charge of the club.
The 38-year-old has guided the Pilgrims to the top of League One this season and won back-to-back manager of the month awards in the third tier.
His side have won 56.5% of his league games and taken 87 points from the 46 matches he has been in charge of - form that would lead to promotion if they got them across one season.
"I always felt as though when I was given the opportunity I felt I was ready for it," he told BBC South West.
"I didn't change too much about how I work, I didn't change my personality too much with the players.
"But to get the amount of points we have in 46 games in the league and to have that win percentage is something I'm really proud of.
"But it's only the start of my journey, and hopefully in the next 50 games it can be the same, because if that percentage is the same we won't be in this division."
'His adaptability, his formations are second to none'
Michael Cooper has been first choice goalkeeper throughout Steven Schumacher's reign at Home Park
Despite missing out on the League One play-offs on the final day of last season - as well as an agonising extra-time loss to European champions Chelsea in the FA Cup - Schumacher appears to have taken the step up from being assistant manager to number one in his stride.
It was on 7 December last year that Ryan Lowe - who had brought Schumacher to Argyle from Bury as his number two in 2019 - took the vacant manager's role at Preston North End.
It marked a remarkable rise for the former Bury and Bradford City player who won more than 40 caps for England at youth level while on Everton's books and had been running the top flight club's under-11's side just a few years earlier.
"When he got the call to step into the role when Ryan Lowe left I think he was quite set on doing it, and think it was something that he always wanted to do, so ever since then it's been quite seamless," Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper told BBC Radio Devon.
"It's his details and tactics. Not only that, but the way we can change formation and change the way we want to play from game to game, even at half-time.
"His adaptability, his formations and everything like that is second to none."
Rekindling his Premier League dream
Steven Schumacher played more than 400 games as a midfielder for clubs including Bury, Bradford and Fleetwood
Having played alongside the likes of Glen Johnson and Stewart Downing while captaining England at youth level - and facing the likes of Argentina striker Carlos Tevez and Spain's former Liverpool forward Fernando Torres as a young international, Schumacher stood out for his leadership.
Schumacher says the late former England youth coach Dick Bate told him he would be a great coach if he did not make it as a Premier League player.
The Liverpudlian signed a new contract to keep him at Home Park until 2027 last month, in the wake of speculation linking him with a number of vacant roles in the league above.
And while Schumacher's dream of playing in the top flight never came true, he may be able to make his mark in a Premier League dugout one day.
"Everybody's got aspirations to play in the Premier League, that was my dream when I was at Everton, and I always remember the day I got released by David Moyes, my dad was devastated," he said.
"I said 'maybe one day I'll come back here and be the manager'.
"If I can do that I've got to do a brilliant job here and get to the next level and manage and coach in the Championship if possible for one of those jobs to come true, but that would be the dream."