When I was told it was a massive honour. It’s where I live now and one side of my family is all Dundalk so that’s lovely.

come out winning. We want every trophy in the cabinet and that’s a start.

‘We’ve a culture here of winning and doing things right day in, day out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a friendly, the President’s Cup or a league game, you apply yourself right and do the job. If you don’t do your job here today someone will step in and do it for you because we’ve such quality all round.’

Indeed, Gartland feels this year’s squad have the potential to trump the success of last year even without former boss Stephen Kenny’s midas touch.

‘We’ve the same players with more quality added in and the same coaching staff with more quality added in as well so we’re happy. We don’t feel there has been much change so far.

‘We’ve kept things going and there will be small changes as we go but change is for the good.

‘We’re not going for a good year, we never do. We want a