Brendan Rogers says it's been a massive boost for Derry to begin their Allianz Football League campaign with back-to-back victories over Kerry and Tyrone.
The 2023 All-Star midfielder was speaking on RTÉ's Sunday Sport after they saw off manager Mickey Harte's native county at Celtic Park.
The back-to-back Ulster champions have lost the last two All-Ireland semi-finals but new manager Harte - who guided Tyrone to three Sam Maguires - has the know how to get them over the line in the summer.
They played with a strong breeze behind them in the opening 35 minutes and managed to amass a three-point lead. But any concerns they might have had about battling against the weather, as well as Tyrone, didn't play out as Conor Glass's late goal put a sheen on the scoreboard.
And for Rogers, starting the campaign with victories against two keen rivals is a confidence booster.
"Winning against Tyrone after all the build up around the whole Mickey Harte thing, it gives you such a lift," Rogers said.
"Especially after all that noise that you get a really good start to the league. Four points is a good footing before the first break. It's all looking good at the minute.
"We squandered a few chances in the first half but the positive is that we were getting in, and quite comfortably. We knew if we were winning our kickouts in the second half and fit to control the pace of the game, and play the way we're quite good at - running and cutting angles - we'd always give ourselves a good chance.
"The more control you have against such a gale, the more the game is going to be in your hands. We really played to our strengths in the second half."
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It's been a positive spring for football in Derry with the arrival of one of the game's great managers in Harte, followed by Watty Graham Glen's going one step further than they managed last year in landing the All-Ireland club football title.
"Whilst the Glen lads were away a lot of guys really got to put their hands up in the McKenna Cup. The integration of the likes of Diarmuid Baker there at corner-back, he had a fantastic McKenna Cup.
"He had no minutes for us last year and he's getting his game time now. It's those opportunities and players are getting better. Then you've also got quality players coming back in.
"So the qualifty of training goes up and you're getting into a highly competitive environment. It's such a thrill being at training because you know the quality is good all time.
"That's what you want as a player. You want to play with the best but it's also unbelievable training with the best. So it's very exciting and we really do enjoy each other's company as well."
