Sean Connor believes he is a better manager after a break away from the game and he intends to prove it with Dundalk.
The newly appointed boss of The Lilywhites will take charge of his third League of Ireland club when the 2009 season kicks off and it is a challenge that he is relishing.
Having recently won a court case against his former employers, Bohemians, he feels refreshed and ready to begin this latest chapter in his managerial career.
That victory at the High Court meant a lot to Connor as it finally allowed him to clean up his reputation following his dismissal from Dalymount Park
"My priority throughout last year was to clear my name and get the court case sorted out, because if I hadn't then I felt that I wouldn't have been a geniune contender for a job," Connor said in an exclusive interview with setanta.com.
"I wouldn't have been able to fully focus on the job until that was out of the way. When you are out for a year it is hard. You miss the day-to-day involvement.
"Now that I have this opportunity to come back into the game, I know that I will be a better manager after coming through what I had to go through over the last year."
Even though he kept himself busy with some scouting assignments for English clubs and working as a pundit on RTE's Monday Night Soccer, he missed the excitement that a matchday brings when you are involved with a club.
During his absence from the sidelines, Connor vowed to return as a better manager whenever something opened up for him. Lessons had been learnt, certain experiences reminded him of how he should have handled things, and being on the outside looking in allowed him to view the game (and how it is run) in a different light.
"I've always been a strong character and I needed to be strong to get through everything," he explained.
"I've learnt from my mistakes and I did make mistakes at Bohemians, but they will not be made again.
"I think I might be more ruthless as a manager than I have been in the past."
The 41-year-old had been linked to a number of clubs throughout 2008, although he dismissed that as idle speculation because he was never really interested in any job until the Dundalk position became available.
While he freely admits that there is a lot for him still to learn in management, he believes that he has enough experience and knowledge of the game to make a difference with the Premier Division newcomers.
"There were one or two positions that caught my eye, but once I saw that there was an opening at Dundalk I became quite interested," revealed the former Sligo Rovers chief.
"Once I had a look at what was happening behind the scenes, it was the project that excited me the most. It is also close to Belfast, so there were a lot of positives.
"Not only is there a chance to work with a team in the Premier Division again, but there is an excellent youth set-up at the club and I plan to get involved with that. The ground work has been done here, the facilities are fantastic, so I'm looking forward to getting started."
The Dundalk post became available in surprising circumstances as John Gill was not offered a new contract despite leading the club to the First Division title and promotion back to the top tier of League of Ireland football.
Various names were tossed around as a potential successor before Connor emerged as the clear favourite to take over at Oriel Park.
While he acknowledges the good work that Gill did before him, he viewed the position as a chance to resurrect his own career and guide a well-supported club back to its former glory days.
"There is no doubt about it, Dundalk are sleeping giants and it is time that the club started to compete at the highest level again," he stated.
"The first part of the process is to ensure that the club is stablizied and retains its place in the Premier Division. Then it is about building up every aspect of the club and giving the passionate supporter base something to be proud of.
"I don't think John (Gill) would like me to feel sorry for him. He was here for three years and they were never out of the top two places, and he then got them promoted. It was a job well done on his part.
"John's position was out of my control. I saw that there was an opening, so I applied for it and the rest is history."
Now that Connor is back in management, he is determined to make the most of it. If he can continue in the way that he left off, then there is no reason why Dundalk can't emerge as a force to be reckoned with under his stewardship.