Martin Allen is desperate to become Swindon's new manager after Paul Sturrock quit, and declared: "I could take them up this year."

The 42-year-old former MK Dons, Brentford and Barnet boss - dubbed Mad Dog for his fiery character - is out of work after being sacked by Leicester City earlier this season.

Allen, who would bring former Town player Adrian Whitbread to the County Ground as his assistant, sees the Robins as an exciting proposition despite the club's cash problems.

The former West Ham midfelder, who has guided his teams to the play-offs for the past three seasons, said: "It's definitely a job I'm interested in. I'll be applying.

"They are three points off the play-offs with a game hand and I want to manage in the Championship.

"It's been done before at Swindon and who's to say it can't be done again?

"Once you've worked at Brentford under tight financial constraints like I did, you learn to get used to it.

"Which football clubs haven't got financial problems? That's life."

Allen and ex-Burnley boss Steve Cotterill are the early front-runners for the job.

But Cotterill said: "I don't comment on speculation. I only know what I've read in the papers."

Meanwhile Sturrock said of his return to Plymouth: "At Swindon, it's been very zany, getting promotion and then having four months of turmoil.

"It has been the most difficult of my career but the lure of Plymouth was too strong to turn down."