The togetherness of Dover’s squad was apparent throughout their promotion-winning season.

Whites bounced back after a tough few years as they earned promotion to National League South under boss Jake Leberl.

Local lad Ryan Hanson rejoined Dover on loan from Tonbridge for the run-in.

Assistant manager Mike Sandmann, who also runs the club’s successful Academy, revealed the 24-year-old midfielder was quick to notice how close-knit the squad were, and Hanson had little hesitation in making his loan move a permanent one this summer.

Sandmann said: “I speak a lot - even at the Academy - about an environment. An environment that you try to create for individuals to grow and develop in.

“That environment has to be consistent and it has to be transparent where everybody knows where they stand. Everybody knows the expectations.

“Once the players buy into that environment and the expectations and they understand exactly what’s expected, they can thrive in it because they can really start to take leadership of that. They know there’s good people at the football club that have their best interests at heart.

“I think once they realise that, come into the group, come into the environment and see it, they really want to be a part of it and do well.

“That’s not just for the football club but for each other and the supporters, as well. There were new lads coming in during the season.

“Ryan Hanson, for example, when he came in, the first thing he spoke about was the group. You can see and sense that real togetherness.

“You have no choice but to buy into that as any new player coming in. That just makes the group stronger and stronger. It makes a difference.

“You don’t always have to have the best players but, if you can have the best group and the best togetherness in the squad, then certainly that buys you points throughout the season.”

Dover’s young side earned promotion as they won at Chichester on the final day of the regular campaign to secure their play-off spot.

They edged to a dramatic extra-time play-off semi-final victory at Billericay before a 2-0 final win at Dartford.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the group,” said Sandmann. “We had an average age of 22, a good core of Academy players, as well.

“From start to finish, the boys were excellent and it helps when they’re such a good group of lads as well, a good group of people.

“That’s not just the players, that’s the people at the club - from the management team to the staff, all good people wanting Dover Athletic to achieve again and get out of the slump and the bad spell that we’ve been in over the last few years.

“I spoke a lot last year at the start about a positive year, a sort of transition year to get the feel-good factor back. I think we’ve certainly done that.

“The relationship between the club, the players and the supporters, I really feel is starting to come together.

“Of course, it helps when you’re winning and you’re having positive results and positive outcomes. But I just felt that there was a good connection between the players and the supporters again. In the end, it really made a difference.

“If you look at the atmosphere at Chichester, the atmosphere at Billericay and then again at Dartford, the supporters massively helped.

“They were a big part of our success.”

Dover had to ride out a poor spell, in which they won only three times between January 1 and mid-March.

But Sandmann said: “Jake is extremely calm and laid-back. He was really positive, especially in the tough moments we had.

“As a group, we kept speaking to the players throughout and we knew we’d come out the back of it. We said ‘Just keep positive, keep doing what we're doing.’.

“Of course, you get some negativity start to creep in, which did. There was a moment where I was a little bit disappointed in that, but I need to reiterate, you’re talking about a real handful rather than the majority.

“Unfortunately, when there is negativity, the real small minority get the focus, as opposed to the vast majority of our supporters, who have been brilliant this year.

“I think when you come and watch this group of players throughout the season, even when results weren’t going our way, you can rarely question the work, the effort, the desire and the want to turn it around and get results.

“When that gets questioned, you become disappointed because you think of how hard they’re working and how well these boys want to do for the football club and for the supporters.

“But when you get those moments at the end, being able to celebrate in front of your supporters at Dartford and Billericay and even Chichester, it’s such a lovely moment.

“That final whistle and those scenes after the game were something that, not only myself and the management team, but the players and the supporters will remember forever.

“Hopefully, that can carry us on.”

Luca Cocoracchio will stay with Dover.

A product of Brighton’s Academy, and previously of Worthing and Whitehawk, the defender showed his versatility in the 2024/25 campaign as he also played in midfield.