Leeds United captain Liam Cooper has said last year's promotion heartache is providing the squad with motivation for the season ahead.
The Whites were top of the Championship at Christmas but finished the season in third, outside the automatic promotion places, and were subsequently beaten by Derby County in the play-off semi-final.
Having finished the 2017/18 season in 13th place, Leeds made a huge step forward in their first season under Marcelo Bielsa and will be hoping they can make the next step in the upcoming campaign by achieving promotion.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post at the Leeds kit launch, Cooper explained that the side were looking to use their painful experiences from last season to help them succeed in the upcoming campaign.
He said: "What a great thing it will be to do if we can get promoted this season.
“We are all looking forward to the season, especially after the heartache last year. It really motivates us more. The team is raring to go.
"We have come back in great shape, it goes back to hard work from the start and the boys are getting fitter and fitter every day.
“Hopefully we can go on and have another unbelievable season and go one better."
This season is the club's centenary year and Cooper said the anniversary would help spur the players on.
He said: "I think it just gives you that extra bit more motivation with it obviously being a massive year for the club being the centenary year.
“Obviously there will be a lot more going on in the communities this year as well and we can’t get wait to get going."
The Verdict
This season could be huge for Leeds.
Expectations are high after they came so close in the previous campaign and with Bielsa returning for a second year in charge they are amongst the favourites to win the league.
The added pressure of the expectation that this squad could be the one that returns the Yorkshire club to the Premier League after a 16-year absence is going to be a factor and experienced players Cooper will be important in helping the squad deal with that.
There may be added emphasis on Cooper's leadership and performances following the exit of his centre-back partner Pontus Jansson, who left Elland Road to join Brentford this week.
Jansson has been a key player for the Whites over the past three years, making more than 33 Championship appearances every season, and as the other centre-back, Cooper will likely play an important role in how well the Swede's replacement will settle.