Brian Gartland insists Dundalk won’t rest easy until they reclaim the league title.
The Lilywhites have clinched the Premier Division trophy five times in the last seven years but were dethroned by Shamrock Rovers in 2020.
They had to settle for the FAI Cup instead after beating the Hoops in another nail-biting final at Aviva Stadium.
Gartland, 34, has signed on for a ninth season at Oriel Park and only has eyes for the title.
“If you’re not going into the start of the season looking to win the league title then you might as well walk back out the door,” he said in a club interview.
“The league title has been ours, predominantly, for the past seven years and the manner in which we fell away last year hurt us.
“We weren’t in the running for it and we want it back.
“We have a massive core of players here that are used to winning things and Filippo Giovagnoli and Jim Magilton are conscious of the type of characters we’ve recruited.
“They have a drive and a will to succeed and that’s important.”
Scottish midfielder Sam Stanton is in talks about a move to Dundalk having previously been with Hibs and Dundee United before a spell in America with Phoenix Rising.
Norwegian striker Ole Erik Midtskogen, Albanian goalkeeper Alessio Abibi and internationals Raivis Jurkovskis (Latvia) and Sonni Nattestad (Faroe Islands) have already signed.
But club stalwarts like Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon, Sean Hoare, John Mountney and Dane Massey have left or retired while Jordan Flores joined Hull City last week.
