Captain Michael Doyle has admitted that he thought Notts County were heading for administration and worse this summer under Alan Hardy - but says the hard work shown by the club's unpaid staff inspired him to keep fighting through pre-season.
The 37-year-old has turned out for a number of clubs who have faced financial unrest during his lengthy career, including Leeds United, Portsmouth and Coventry.
But even as he approaches his 800th game as professional footballer he will tell you that he has never experienced anything quite like his six months at Meadow Lane.
Following the Magpies' final day defeat to Swindon Town, a defeat that saw them relegated from the Football League for the first time in their 157-year history, chairman Hardy told NottinghamshireLive that a deal to sell the club was just seven to ten days from completiton.
Instead, that short time frame would stretch on for the entire summer with Danish brothers Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz arriving in Nottingham to save the club from extinction on Friday and now those unpaid members of staff have finally received their late wages.
And even Doyle refused to believe his former chairman's promise that the deal was done until he saw the new owners arrive himself.
"I didn't believe it at first, to be honest with you, with all the stuff that's been said," said Doyle with a grin.
"I just wanted to concentrate on the football."
For two months this summer, staff at the club were left unpaid but continued to work on throughout.
The unpaid players went through the majority of their pre-season programme unbeaten, despite boasting a limited squad glued together by trialists and youth players.
But Doyle says any credit for the club's positive preparations this summer should go to the non-playing staff who have inspired their captain.
"It has been tough," he continued.
"I am just delighted for everybody involved. The club, the fans and all the staff who work around the club.
"These have been tough days for those people with the uncertainty and the wage issues, it has been hard to watch.
"We have seen people coming into work everyday and doing their jobs. They've been making us food, they've been cleaning up around us and around the stands and the offices.
"Those are the people who, for me, were the hardest to watch work - and a lot of them are Notts County fans, too.
"These people go about their jobs everyday and at a football club it is players who get all the recognition, but it is those people who deserve all the credit now.
"I took a lot of inspiration from those people going about their jobs everyday. The club is lucky to have them and we need to reward them now.
"The massive thing about the takeover being finally done now is that there are no excuses anymore.
"We can do all we can now to get this club back up to the Football League where it belongs.
He added: "Let's get this club promoted."
