Fraser Fyvie felt Cove Rangers’ unity shone through this season and helped them become League One champions.
Fyvie is one of several Aberdeen-born players who have played in the same teams as one another from a young age.
They have since reunited at Cove, after taking different paths in their careers, and helped the club reach the Championship.
“Credit to the boys over the course of the season. The table tells the truth at the end of the year and we’ve been the best team, the most consistent,” said Fyvie.
“It’s great to finally get over the line. Airdrie pushed us all the way and credit to them. We managed to grind it out on Saturday, but, when it’s important, people come up with the goods.
“This is the way you want to win it. You don’t want it handed to you. You want to get pushed all the way and challenged, to see what character you’ve got on your side.
“It’s a great group of lads with a great coaching staff and manager. Everyone is in it together and I think you saw that at the end with the celebrations.
“It’s a unique group, in terms of a lot of local lads who can play at a good level. It’s enjoyable playing together and it’s great we’ve continued to win things together.”
Cove will now be a Championship club, three years after leaving the Highland League, and are in rarefied air.
They have gone further than any club promoted from the pyramid play-offs since they were brought in seven years ago. Ross County and Caley Thistle – who merged Inverness Caledonian and Thistle – have come from the Highland League and played higher.
“We now go up into the Championship and try (to) sustain that in the league next year and see where we end up,” Fyvie said.
“It’s something we’ll look forward to. It’s probably time for the club to build again, in terms of the strategy going forward, but it’s important for us to enjoy the moment as they don’t come round often.
“The camaraderie within the group is fantastic and that’s half of what’s pulled us through.
“If you look over the last six or eight weeks, we’ve ground out results we’ve needed. We’ve scored late goals and everyone has mucked in.”