The 39-year-old was appointed U’s head coach in November and endured a challenging start to life back at his hometown club.

He tasted a league victory at the fifth attempt, and later in the campaign, a run of two wins in 12 games culminated in a 5-0 hammering at Bolton Wanderers.

That proved a turning point as United would lose just once more in their final eight regular Sky Bet League One matches of the season.

The U’s then beat Peterborough United in the play-off semi-finals, before a 2-0 win over Bolton at Wembley in the final.

READ ALSO: Des Buckingham admits he has been offered chance to leave U’s since promotion

Buckingham told BBC Radio Oxford’s The Dub podcast: “The first couple of months were very tough, and they were tough because I’d been living overseas for nine years.

“I’d made a decision in my career and my life, not only to move back home, but to leave for me, the largest footballing entity in the world, in the City Football Group.

“It was a very good place for me from a coaching point of view, where I was developing and I was looked after extremely well, with potential opportunities to progress there.

“I left that with a view to come and try and do what I thought I could do at this club. When I look back at that time now, it was a significant change for my personal life, with moving back, trying to buy a house, and trying to settle my life back into a space here by myself.

“There was no staff that I brought with me, so you’re trying to establish relationships with players as well as the staff already at the club.

“You’re also trying to continue on the momentum from what has been. The club was in a good spot and a lot of the metrics would say we were overachieving, but the idea was to come in and show what you can do and do well.

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“There was a point come February or March where there were some real dark days. I’m not stupid or naive enough to have not known that or seen that.

“There were moments where there were spaces I’d never been to, both in my life and my coaching career, which was extremely challenging.

“The one thing that really grated me at the time, which was going through my head, was ‘you’ve made this decision professionally and personally to do what’s right, and you haven’t been able to show people what you can do’.

“That was very challenging, and there were some things I had to navigate to get through that, but the pleasing thing was how it all played out.

“To finish the season the way we did, to play the football that we did, and face several challenges along the way, but come out and enjoy that day and way we played at Wembley was arguably the best game of football where I’ve stood on the sidelines and coached.

“That moment when the referee blew the full-time whistle, there was no emotion in my body. I can’t quite describe the feeling I had.

“There are no words, and that’s probably the most special thing for me. You can’t describe it.”