Caley Thistle defender Coll Donaldson says finding a home from home in the Highlands made it an easy decision to sign a new contract until 2020.
Donaldson joined Inverness in August after leaving Dundee United, having made 44 appearances for the Tannadice outfit in two years.
The Edinburgh-born centre-half previously had an 18-month spell in English football with Queens Park Rangers after leaving his first club Livingston in 2014, but having established himself as a first-pick in John Robertson’s Caley Jags starting 11, Donaldson says he has never been more settled on and off the pitch.
Donaldson, who will play in tonight’s Championship match against Falkirk, said: “I’ve been enjoying my football again and I’ve been searching that for a while. I’m really settled here, the manager trusts me and I’ve enjoyed working with him. It was an easy decision in the end.
“I’ve really enjoyed living in Inverness and that’s been a huge thing for me. Apart from living in London, I’ve lived in Edinburgh my whole life. I’m not really missing it much which is strange, as that’s all I did in London.
“Not a lot of people know it but I’ve got my dad up here too, so I’ve got family up here. I’m really settled and really enjoying it.
“You can fall into that bubble where you’re a professional footballer and be out with your friends every weekend. You need to go out and work and up here there’s not a lot else to do than play football, particularly with the snow.
“Eating right, training right – it’s been a good fit for me. You can go one or two ways – it can be a good fit or you can feel like you’re on the edge of the world, which in some ways you are. You’re away from the central belt but it’s only two and a half hours away. I used to live eight hours away.
“I can go home on weekends if I want to but I haven’t been doing it that often.”
Donaldson has been part of the impressive Inverness backline which has kept nine clean sheets from the last 10 games, striking up a strong partnership with fellow Edinburgh-born centre-half Brad McKay.
Donaldson feels he is in the right place to develop his career, with the 22-year-old adding: “I came in against Aberdeen in the Challenge Cup, went out and back in again and gained the manager’s trust.
“I could have followed the cash and seen where it went but this decision was a complete football one. That was the right way to go. I’m still 22 – this takes me to 25 and that’s still really young. I don’t think there’s a better place to learn my football. I’ve played maybe 70-80 games so hopefully there’s a lot more to come.
“Brad and I were not actually close pals before we came up here – we weren’t from the same part of town. But since I’ve come up we’ve clicked and it’s shown on the pitch.
“We’re not up each others backsides. It’s just expected now on the pitch. I’ve got the same understanding with Carl, our goalkeeper and the players in front of us. As players we’ve bonded well.”
