Alex Fisher is to be rewarded with a new Caley Thistle contract through to next May after impressing manager Richie Foran from the bench.
The big former Torquay forward has struggled to hold down a regular starting place with the Highlanders since his arrival last January.
Injury wrecked his initial spell through to the summer but the 25-year-old signed another six-month agreement before John Hughes’ dismissal.
Despite earning just two starts, along with six substitute appearances, scoring once, Foran has seen enough in terms of improvement from the 6ft 3in target man to convince him to extend the deal.
The Irishman said: “I’ve spoken to Alex Fisher already and he’ll be offered a new deal until the end of the season.
“He’s improved immensely. You’ve got to keep the reins on him because he always wants to do more.
“Coming off the bench, you must contribute and make an impact, even if it’s 20 minutes or five minutes.
“David Raven played five minutes in our win against Motherwell on Wednesday but he contributed greatly, putting one great delivery into the box.
“Alex’s positional sense is very good. He gets in between defenders and, with the way we’re playing, putting lots of crosses into the box, he’s a great asset to have.
“He’s getting his rewards by working defenders. We want him to be a bit cleverer with his runs but he’s a listener. He wants to improve.”
Foran made it clear Fisher was placing pressure on another big centre forward, Lonsana Doumbouya, who netted the third goal of his Inverness career in the 3-0 win at Motherwell.
He said: “Lonsana’s game is in the air and he should have had a couple of more goals. “He needs to be getting them on target and we’ve worked hard with him on the training ground with that.”
Foran also had praise for another of Wednesday’s scorers, Liam Polworth, stressing the Scotland under 21 capped midfielder had a big future ahead of him.
The Caley Thistle manager added: “Liam is a real goal threat. He’s still a young lad and has a lot to learn but he’s a player who can go and play in bigger and better leagues if he keeps progressing.
“He’s brave on the ball and he’ll always take it under pressure. He’s a great passer of the ball and got an eye for the ball. He’s a great talent and he’s a local lad, too.”
