Brian Gartland believes Dundalk have what it takes to absorb the loss of Stephen Kenny and keep churning out silver after a glittering 2018 ended with their manager leaving for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s post.
Kenny will ultimately take the reins with the seniors in 2020, and leaves behind an incredible legacy with the Lilywhites.
He won four league titles and two FAI Cups, while also leading the club into the Europa League group stages in 2016.
Centre-half Gartland has been at the heart of those achievements, and is confident a winning culture is woven so strongly into the club that they can maintain their success even without the man who masterminded it.
"In every walk of life you're trying to better yourself, to get to the top, to the pinnacle," he told RTÉ Sport's Dave Kelly.
"Players are the same. We've lost players every year to teams in England and Scotland. That's the nature of the game and the industry we're in. For Stephen Kenny, the Irish job is the pinnacle of his career. Nobody can deny that's a fact.
"We've had six great years and you wanted it to continue but he moves on. He's done so well with us, that can never be forgotten. But we've got to move on now.
"We've done that when top players, star players have moved on. That's part of the game."
Gartland also offered an insight into the qualities Kenny will bring to international stage.
"He was great at man-management," the 32-year-old said. "He left the lads brimming with confidence. Even people who weren't in the squad, we've such competition in the team that everyone expects to be playing.
"One of the key things was, the lads who weren't playing, in most clubs they'd be throwing the toys out of the pram. You'd go in for a meeting with him and come out feeling six-feet tall.
"They'd feel appreciated, they'd feel involved, and they'd feel like they were needed."
Dundalk will start their title defence at home to Sligo Rovers in the new year. This year they dethroned Cork City and then beat them in the FAI Cup final to make up for a barren 2017.
Gartland admitted it was a double they savoured even more than the one they landed three years ago.
"When we won the double this year it felt fairly special. I think we celebrated it more than we did in 2015. It does make you appreciate it and not take it for granted, when you have a year trophy-less.
"We've set standards for ourselves, and that's what we aim for.
"The League Cup eluded us to compete the treble. We're never happy unless we have everything. But apart form that it was a great season for us.
"To be at the top it always takes the basic elements of hard work, humility, having confidence without arrogance, belief, because you go through a few bad patches. You'll always have a bad result.
"With us it's not accepted. One bad result and it's nearly like a crisis meeting."
