Chief executive Damian Irvine has led the tributes to Ebbsfleet’s title-winning manager Dennis Kutrieb.

It’s only the fifth league title in their history and the first time they’ve won National League South having twice been promoted via the play-offs.

The 43-year-old German arrived as an unknown to Fleet fans to replace Kevin Watson at the end of the 2019/20 season.

It’s been a tough journey at times, with Covid restrictions hardly helping Kutrieb’s transition to his new surroundings, and there’s been doubters from across non-league football that his style and methods would never work.

But his classy squad have run away with the title in the second half of the season and - after three years in charge - Kutrieb has justified the faith shown in him by Irvine and Fleet owner Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi.

“I’m extremely proud of him, and proud of Dr Abdulla who made that decision to look elsewhere when it was tough,” said Irvine.

“It wasn’t a case of anyone not really working here, it was that the club needed a direction, it needed a brief and a character that we were going to build on going forward.

“So, I looked high and low, all across Europe for the type of person that the brief said we needed. The process was thorough but even I, standing here now, couldn’t have dreamt that it would have found exactly what we’re looking for.

“In such tough circumstances, Dennis has learnt here. You only had to read early on, everyone had a reason why he couldn’t do it, why it couldn’t work - ‘you can’t play this sort of football, it’s impossible at this level, the pitches won’t let you do it, you don’t know the leagues, where have you come from in German lower leagues’ - a lot of doubters.

“All that’s done every day, and I’ve seen him, and us as a partnership with the chairman and all the staff, it’s just got us a little bit tighter and more focused every time the doubters have said that.

“We believed from the start that it could be done. To see what has happened now is an endorsement and a justification so I’m really proud.”

Irvine believes Kutrieb’s work ethic has set him apart this term.

He’s managed to have the squad firing on all cylinders - minus one blip mid-season which saw two defeats to rivals Dartford - and has put to bed the pain of last season’s last-gasp play-off Final defeat at Dorking Wanderers.

“I know it’s easy to say, but he works harder and thinks more and is obsessive in making sure this team is best prepared on a Saturday,” added Irvine.

“That sounds simple and is easy to say but in practice it’s actually very hard to do. He sacrificed a lot to be here, he’s here for the club, he’s a professional and those are all the characteristics a lot of people have got.

“Then as a football manager to have the ability to bring the boys with you in a way where he’s had to manage a squad of 24. There’s been boys left out or boys rotated so to do that where they fully believe and buy in because the way we play and the way we’re set up as a club, if you half-doubt yourself then you won’t succeed.

“If one person on the pitch doesn’t back the playing-out culture and how we do it, then it can fall apart.

“To do what he’s done and have the skill he’s got as a manager and an analyst, and a coach on the grass…he’s a good person and people aspire to play for him, that’s the secret. It’s a good package and he’s well balanced.

“It’s a reaction to what happened last year when you get caught not quite finishing the job. It’s easy for that to manifest itself negatively and really spiral but it’s gone the other way for us and that’s testament to the characters in the squad, all the backroom staff and Dennis.

“They’ve used that to springboard and what more can you ask?”