Kenny Bruce feels the next part of Larne's journey will be a lot easier than the previous five-and-a-half years.
Bruce has helped oversee the Invermen's incredible rise from the bottom of the Championship to Premiership glory since his takeover in 2017.
The success on the pitch was mirrored by the infrastructure works off it with the redevelopment of Inver Park, the club's training ground and the Academy set-up.
Read next: Paddy McLaughlin opens up on Cliftonville 'dread' and Derry City opportunity
With so much achieved in such a relatively short space of time Bruce believes the next stage should be a lot more straightforward as he targets Larne becoming the first club from here to reach the group stages of a European competition.
"We feel what we have achieved in the last five-and-a-half years was actually harder to achieve than what we can achieve in the next five-and-a-half years," he said.
"We think the platform we've been able to establish and the foundations we successfully laid, we think the next five years should be more straightforward for us.
"It's very difficult to sit in front of David McDaid at a run-down Inver Park and convince him to sign.
"He came to Larne because we had a journey, we had a vision and a mission of what we wanted to achieve and he bought into that.
"Of course, we had to compete financially but it wasn't something we were doubling down.
"A Davy McDaid coming to Larne in 2023 is a far easier conversation and it's far easier to convince somebody when you sit in a virtually brand new Inver Park, fantastic first-team facilities, a great team of individuals around them and a great coaching staff.
"It's a really great set-up so we think with that same energy, drive and desire that we have with now the financial clout we've been able to put in place, we really do feel the next five years could be quite substantial.
"We want to ideally be that first team from Northern Ireland to reach the group stages of European competition.
"We think we have all the potential to do that and we will be pushing really, really hard over the next few years to try and achieve that.
"It's a realistic target for Irish League clubs - there's no doubt about it.
"The winners of the title have a great opportunity to get into the Europa Conference League proper.
"I think that helps every club in their aspirations to be sustainable and to invest in its academy and infrastructure.
"I think once one club does it, and Linfield were very close last year and I was absolutely devastated for them as I think they've been a great example of how to challenge in those competitions over many, many years, then other clubs will do it there after."
Tonight sees Larne write the next page in their history as they receive the Gibson Cup following their match against Linfield.
It will be a night of celebration at a packed Inver Park, but also an emotional one for the likes of Bruce.
"I think it will be very tough for me personally because there will be a huge amount of emotion across the whole community in Larne and across Inver Park with a host of people there," he said.
"When I look around the ground and see the level of work that has gone into not only the stadium, the team, the academy, the volunteers and the work which Gareth (Clements) and the board have done I'm sure there will be a lot of tears from a lot of people.
"I'll find it very difficult to hold that in check but I'll try my very best."
READ NEXT:
- Nominees revealed ahead of 2023 NI Football Awards
Cliftonville may miss out on 'top target' as they move to new hybrid model
SuperCupNI stood me in good stead for my career says Niall McGinn
Kenny Bruce reacts to Larne title win and 'money money money' jibe
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
