"If we are serious about football in this country, every top League of Ireland club must have a senior women's team."
Those were the words of analyst and coach Lisa Fallon this time last year on the eve of the previous Women's National League campaign.
At that stage, Sligo Rovers had just introduced their women's senior team to the league in what would ultimately prove to be a solid debut at that level.
Now as the rebranded SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division looms for 2023, another big club is preparing to make a splash.
After a nine-year absence from the women's senior game, Shamrock Rovers are back and look like they mean business, based on their squad building efforts over the winter.
From the moment they announced the signing of Republic of Ireland stalwart Áine O'Gorman and shortly after, Stephanie Roche, last November, a litany of big-name recruits have arrived from clubs which contested a four-way title battle last season.
Summer Lawless, Alannah McEvoy, Aoibhe Fleming and Lauren Kelly have all made the same journey from Peamount to Rovers.
Another coup has been the addition of young Ireland striker Abbie Larkin and goalkeeper Amanda Budden, who both left double winners Shelbourne.
Highly-rated Ireland Under-19 international Melissa O'Kane and fellow defender Jess Hennessy have both joined from last season's league and FAI Cup runners-up Athlone Town.
That defence has only been bolstered further with the signing of Irish senior international and former Galway defender Savannah McCarthy, who is in the latter stages of recovery from a knee injury.
The recruitment drive adds an immediate pressure for Shamrock Rovers to hit the ground running and challenge straight away, from the moment they kick off against Sligo on Saturday.
Not that head coach Collie O'Neill sees things that way, as he told RTÉ Sport at the recent launch of the 2023 League of Ireland season at Dublin's City Hall.
"It is a new club and it's very difficult in your first year because there's a whole new style to be implemented, there are players that have to get to know each other, they have to work in sync, so it does take time," he said, acknowledging that there is a spotlight on his side due to their squad's evident quality.
"We will try and be as competitive as possible but I think maybe this year might be a year too soon to be saying that we're going to win something. It might be hopefully next year or maybe the year after."
While O'Neill may not be contemplating title talk just yet - he sees Wexford Youths, Shelbourne and Peamount as favourites - he is certainly feeling the growing buzz however.
"It is an exciting time. It is long overdue for them to be back and it's nice to see that when we did make the decision to come back, it wasn't just a token gesture, that they've gone full out at it and are looking to be as competitive as possible," said the former UCD men's manager.
"The players we have attracted have been some of the top players around, great attitude, great determination in every single one of them. So we're happy with the squad that we have."
Some of the squad will likely be intergal to Vera Pauw's plans for the Republic of Ireland's World Cup debut this summer and O'Neill believes the landmark international achievement will have a knock-on effect on the domestic scene.
"It's a great year and I think it's a great opportunity for the FAI to try and grow the women's league here," he said.
"It's such an advertisement of it here and [qualifying for a major tournament] has never happened before. Who knows when it's going to happen again.
"So if you ever want to go and build a brand or start something off really big, this is the year to go and do it."
O'Neill suggested that more live matches on TV as well as advertising of the product would highlight the pre-existing interest in the league.
"You see it, the catchment is there and has been over the last couple of years," he said.
"All other teams, the likes of Shels, Peamount and Cork have done a great job in bringing the game on and I think now is the time to really go and push it and have that extra little highlight put on it.
"All the junior clubs will tell you, particularly in the girls' section, they might have only had two teams last year, (but) this year they have four. If they had four last year, this year they have eight. So it's growing, growing and growing. The crowd is there."
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