Robbie Deas hopes to get his Championship season started on Saturday – and the Caley Thistle defender wants to make an instant impact.
The 22-year-old was suspended for ICT’s opening two league games, which ended in draws against Queen’s Park and Arbroath.
The stopper did play in the Premier Sports Cup, helping the Highlanders win their group and line up an away tie on August 31 against Premiership Motherwell.
Last term, he was used mostly at left-back, with former Rangers and Kilmarnock star Kirk Broadfoot playing alongside Danny Devine in the heart of the defence.
However, Billy Dodds’ cup line-ups suggest Deas will take Broadfoot’s place this season and, with Devine now back from injury, they are the likely paring in the middle as Cove Rangers come calling this weekend.
Switch to centre-half suits Deas
Deas is looking forward to the chance of partnering 29-year-old Northern Irishman Devine, although with the likes of Zak Delaney and Wallace Duffy, if fit, snapping at their heels, there’s healthy competition at the back.
Deas said: “I’ve not played alongside Danny this season, but I’m looking forward to it.
“Last season, I played left-back and Danny was the left side of centre-half, so we have a good relationship.
“We’re lucky in that we have got many options and there is good depth within the squad and team.
“Danny is a fantastic player, a leader on the park.
“But whoever plays in that position, we’re confident and we have the relationship with one another.
“I’ve really enjoying playing centre-half this season, where I’ve been in the League Cup, and I feel I’m now ready for the league campaign.
“It’s an exciting time at the club. We’ve got ambitions this season to go up and we have a strong core of players.”
Communication is strength for Deas
Deas not only brings solidity to the back-line, he makes himself heard by demanding high standards all round.
He feels it’s important to be vocal in his position, but insists he’s not the only one to keep everyone going on the pitch.
He said: “Communication is one of my strengths. I like being vocal, but I’ve still got things to learn.
“As a defender, it is key to be vocal. I have standards which I set of myself and one of those standards is to try and be a leader.
“We’ve got plenty of leaders on the park, which is good.”
Defender ‘helpless’ on the sidelines
Being a spectator isn’t for Deas and he cannot wait to get the chance to pull on the boots now the ban is over.
He added: “I’ve not enjoyed watching the games from the stand. You feel helpless.
“The boys done well on Saturday as Arbroath (0-0) is a horrible place to go. The conditions weren’t great, so to get a point is not a bad result, considering how the wind changed in the second half.
“I’ve been itching to get on the pitch and I’m looking forward to it.”
Megginson is real danger to ICT
It’s just a few weeks since Inverness and Saturday’s visitors Cove Rangers drew 1-1 in the Premier Sports Cup group stages.
Deas played in that tie, which ICT won on penalties to progress to round two for the first time in six attempts.
Cove have three points on the board after beating Raith Rovers 2-0 on the opening day of their first season in the Championship.
Jim McIntyre’s visitors will be looking to bounce back from a 1-0 loss at Morton and Deas insists they’re packed full of quality and will be treated with respect.
He said: “We played Cove last season and lost 3-1, so we knew how strong they were.
“Mitch Megginson, up top, is a very good player. He’s scored lots of goals in the lower leagues, so Cove are certainly no mugs just because they’re part-time and have just been promoted.
“They’re a really good team and they have very good senior pros in their team. We just need to stick to our game plan and deal with it.
“The most important thing is getting three points and looking up the table.”
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