A familiar face in the Dundee line-up is desperate to get one over on Caley Thistle – just five months after swapping light blue for dark.
Josh Meekings left the Caley Jags after their relegation last summer. Dundee gave him a chance to rehab his long-standing knee problem and he signed for them permanently in August.
Given Inverness dropped out of the top flight Meekings did not expect to face his old side again, only for the Scottish Cup draw to hand them an early reunion.
Meekings anchored Caley Thistle’s defence on their run to Scottish Cup glory in 2015 and it is the same competition that presents him with a chance to face some old colleagues.
Meekings said: “I saw the draw and thought ‘isn’t that just how football works?’
“I’d like to think I’d get a good reception from the away fans. I was disappointed how things panned out in my final year but I always gave my all. It’ll be very strange playing against them.
“I look back on the cup win as a positive experience. The big thing for us in Inverness was the togetherness. We were playing well in the league and picking up points – the cup run topped it all off.”
Last season was a frustrating one for the 25-year-old, who turned down a contract extension early in the season and missed the relegation run-in after injuring his knee in a bounce game in January.
He has previously said he was disappointed with how his departure was handled, with a statement confirming his exit released before he had spoken to anyone.
Meekings remains close friends with current Caley Jag Brad Mckay and messages have been exchanged this week in the build-up to the Dens Park contest.
He said: “I speak to Brad nearly every day and we’ve had a chuckle about it this week.
“When we both cross the white line it’ll be a different mindset – there’s still a job to be done. He’s a good friend but we both know how important this game is.
“I want to see Inverness come back up but I’m a winner and the main thing is my team wins on the day.”
Making a second run to Hampden three years on is a target for Meekings, citing some similarities between his old side and his current employers.
Meekings said: “We’ve got a very good dressing room here and now everyone is settled, we’re going where we want to go. The manager plays a similar way to John Hughes and I really enjoy that style.”
