Ebbsfleet captain Chris Solly loved seeing their title success from both sides of the fence.

It was a third career promotion for former Charlton stalwart Solly and a second league title, but his first as part of the coaching set-up.

Having that added insight to the hard work that goes on behind the scenes made it extra special for Solly.

“It’s right up there for me,” he said. “From a personal note, obviously I’m closer to the gaffer and I haven’t experienced this success and seen both sides of things.

“I’ve been close to him all season and have seen that side, the coaching and the effort him and Chris Franks have put in all season.

“Then to play week in, week out, in the position I’m in at the middle of the back three I have the best view. Some of the football our boys produced has been unbelievable so it’s been an absolute pleasure on and off the pitch.”

Ebbsfleet spent most of the season at the top of National League South - their title success being a matter of when rather than if they’d win the league.

That might have taken an edge of the celebrations when the Fleet finally got over the line and Solly was keen to point out how good their season was.

“I was trying to say that to the squad a few weeks back as it felt a little bit of an anti-climax the way we did it because our lead was so big,” said Solly.

“But the message from me to the players was you’ve got to enjoy this, because you don’t know when it’s going to come again, if it does.

“I think the last two or three weeks the boys have started to realise that what we’ve achieved is very good.”

It was the Fleet’s unbeaten run from the turn of the year that made the difference in the end – a sequence of results that seemed unlikely after the way they dipped over the festive period, losing twice to rivals Dartford.

“That blip maybe helped us looking back,” reflected Solly. “I was asked if I was worried around that period and I wasn’t at all.

“The level of training was still exactly the same, the effort was the same, and we made it clear as a group that as long as we kept doing the right things, we’d get that win and the confidence would come back and we’d start playing our free-flowing football again.

“That’s what happened and we went on that crazy run, and that proved to be decisive and what got us over the line.

“Havant at home at the time was quite a big game, they were going well and if they’d managed to get a win they would have been back in the frame to challenge for automatic. But we put in a good performance, really professional, solid at the back and that was a good win.

“There were a few good away wins in that period and even lately at Taunton, it wasn’t the prettiest game but we found a way to win and there’s nothing better than a late winner like we did then.”