Caley Thistle captain Grant Munro aims to prove the doubters wrong after admitting injury affected his form last season.
The 27-year-old central defender will lead Inverness into the first game of the new SPL campaign against Aberdeen at Pittodrie today after missing the end of the previous season.
Munro was given the captain’s armband by Caley Jags manager Craig Brewster late last week, having also filled the role last season.
He feels fit and ready to play a major role for the club this term. He said: “I am very proud to wear the captain’s armband, especially coming from Inverness.
“I feel more confident in the role now and feel I can do myself justice on the park this year.
“Maybe I didn’t do that last year as I was carrying an injury. Now I am fully fit I can show that I am a good player.
“I struggled with a groin problem from around Christmas. I played through it, although it was niggling away.
“I should not really have played half of the games I played in and then missed the last five or six games of the season.
“I needed a bit of rest, I feel fully fit and, hopefully, I can do myself justice now.
“The club knew about it but we were tight in defence last year. I could get through games but my training was restricted.
“I had a few scans and I was given the all clear to build up my fitness over the summer. I came back and was flying through the pre-season.”
Aberdeen are the only SPL side Inverness have yet to defeat and Munro wants to end their long, winless streak this afternoon.
He said: “We don’t even think about how many games it is. We have been close on a few occasions to beating them but they have a good record against us and it is up to us to break the streak and Pittodrie would be a great place to do it.
“Aberdeen are beatable but they just seem to have this wee Indian sign over us. We want to go out there and put a marker down especially as the pundits have been tipping us for relegation, which happens every year.”