Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny believes that the standard of football in the League of Ireland is comparable to a decade ago and rivals the Football League in England.
And the manager of this season’s league champions believes that the quality of the league is as good as it was a few years ago despite players not being paid as much as they were in previous seasons.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Kenny said: “I think there is an even-ing of standards of football in general between the Championship, League 1, League 2 and ourselves and Scotland. There is an elite level in the Premiership (English Premier League) because of fitness levels and sports science and there is such a high number of players.
"People say that the standard in the league has dropped over the past few years but how do they measure that? What’s the barometer?
"I should know because I was managing the teams at the top end a few seasons ago.
"I’m not comparing teams to the Shamrock Rovers team of the 80s or the Derry treble-winning team, that’s a different era.
"We’re talking about seven or eight years ago, people saying the league is weaker than it was in the 2006 or 2005 season but that’s not the way I view it.
"Maybe the squads might be smaller and the players aren't paid as well as in that period but I think the talent within the teams [is there], with a lot of younger players now really emerging in all of the teams, will mean the standard is even better next season.
“And this group of Dundalk players showed themselves to be immensely talented as did some of the other players in the league this year.”
And while Dundalk have lost their top marksman, Patrick Hoban, and could potentially be without the ever-impressive Richie Towell next season, Kenny believes that his squad have never relied on individuals and will have players ready to fill any gaps that need closing ahead of the 2015.
“We would have liked for him [Patrick] to go to Championship level or higher. He decided to take the option to go to Oxford United. We respect that and wish him well. He was a great player for us over the two seasons.
“Richie Towell as well, it is a danger that we could lose Richie, so we'll have to see how that goes.
“There has been so much interest in Richie. And if we do lose the two of those players, that is a challenge for us again. They are two players that were nominated for Player of the Year by their fellow players in the league.
“They are both 23 years of age and had unbelievable belief in themselves and scored nearly 40 goals this season between the two of them. But I think it has never really been about individuals in our team.
“We've seen the amount of players that have come into the team this year and really blossomed. We feel there are other players waiting in the wings to do likewise.
“Obviously, we have to recruit well as well and add a couple of players to what we have. But that is part and parcel of life sometimes. Particular in the modern existence of the league, there isn't really the finance. Ultimately the best players are going to get the opportunity to go to England and beyond.
“That is inevitable you feel. That's a huge motivation for players as well. Not only to win trophies with Dundalk or to play in the Champions League as they will this year, it's to have a season that makes them really in demand from clubs.”
