The last manager to lead Ipswich Town to the Premier League says Kieran McKenna's Blues have to stick to their principles as they attack the top tier next season.
George Burley guided Town to the Premier League with victory over Barnsley in the Play-off Final back in 2000 before famously leading them to a fifth-place finish and European football the following season.
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And the 68-year-old says he sees some parallels between his Blues and the team McKenna has built and steered to back-to-back promotions.
In an interview with the Premier League website, Burley enthused: “We just stuck to our plan.
"The nucleus of the squad was there. We built and built, got the spirit going and got stronger and stronger.
"That’s what Ipswich have done in the last couple of seasons. You can see they’ve got fantastic spirit. Never beaten, scoring lots of late goals, coming from behind.
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"The attitude is spot on. So more of the same. Somebody said to me, ‘You can't play football like they have in the Premier League.’
"But I’m a believer that you’ve got to stick to your principles."
Unsurprisingly, Burley is a big fan of the man who's followed in his footsteps by leading Town back to football's top table.
“What Kieran has done, there is one of the top managers in Britain for sure," he said.
"When you look at the amount of games they’ve won in the last two years, his results have been second to none.
"He brought in League One players two years ago, now they’re Premier League players. He’s improved them on the training ground. That’s one of his big strengths.
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"He’s a laid-back type of lad, easy to speak to, not overpowering and doesn’t get too carried away. It’s tremendous what he has done for the club."
Burley who went on to manage his country, Scotland, as well as the likes of Derby County, Southampton and Crystal Palace, has been based back in Ipswich for more than a decade - and thus has been party to the many downs and relatively few ups at Portman Road in that time.
Town, of course, slid into League One and looked to be mired in a cycle of mediocrity before McKenna and Mark Ashton arrived and relaunched the Blue rocket ship.
Burley said: “I've been living back in Ipswich for about 11 years, and for probably seven of those before Kieran took over, it was hard times.
"There wasn't really much interest in football. People were a bit 'take it or leave it'. So in the last two-and-a-bit years it’s been great.
"There's a great atmosphere about the town. I can walk from my house to the ground and we've got a lovely big park next to us.
"You’re taking the dog for a walk, and everybody's speaking about football, how the game was, with a big smile on their face."
So, how does Burley see Town - already among the favourites for relegation - faring back in the Premier League next season?
The Blues start with a baptism of fire, hosting Liverpool on August 17th before visiting four-time reigning champions Manchester City the following week.
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Back in 2000, Burley's Blues held powerhouses Manchester United and Arsenal to 1-1 draws in two of their first four home games.
"A good start, of course, is important," Burley explained. "We competed against them both.
"They weren’t lucky draws. It wasn’t as if we were hanging on. We certainly were equal.
"The beginning of that season gave us the confidence to grow in strength and belief that we could stay in the division - and we more than did that."
And Burley, who was named manager of the season after that 2000/01 fairy-tale, believes his old club could well upset the odds again almost a quarter of a century later.
"Ipswich have a winning mentality, great group of players," he insisted. "They’ll certainly not roll over. If we can get a mid-table finish that will be a really successful season.
"But any team that comes up, if they finish fourth-bottom, it’s a winner."
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