Young defender Matthew Strachan is impressing Caley Thistle head coach Billy Dodds after two late appearances from the bench in the Championship.
Injury-hit Inverness head to Morton this Friday night for the BBC Scotland live match.
ICT are in second spot, just behind Ayr United on goal difference following the Honest Men’s 4-2 win against Partick Thistle.
The Glasgow Jags sit just one point further back, marginally ahead of Queen’s Park, who posted a shock 4-0 win at Firhill at the weekend.
🔜 This week we're away from home as we face Morton at Cappielow on Friday night, with the match been shown live on BBC Scotland
Ticket & Supporters Bus Info 👉 https://t.co/O3F3fUH4Zu pic.twitter.com/k2xFLNISVh
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) October 25, 2022
Strachan, who is only 17, made his debut in last Tuesday’s 1-0 home league loss against Hamilton.
On Saturday, he replaced Robbie Deas at 88 minutes when the centre-half was brought off with a leg fracture after scoring in the 1-1 draw with Raith Rovers.
Deas will now miss much of the season and, with eight other players injured right now, Dodds might look to teenager Strachan, who captained the under-18s in their 2-1 Scottish Youth Cup defeat to St Johnstone on Sunday.
The Inverness boss concedes the injury crisis is the reason for Strachan and young midfielders Keith Bray and Calum MacKay being included in the senior squad.
Strachan’s calmness noted by Dodds
However, the positive impressions made by Strachan against Accies and Raith have been noted by Dodds.
He said: “Young Matthew still has a lot to learn, but he’s a big strong lad.
“Some of my senior players started to panic (against Hamilton last week). I’m not having a go at them, but we were rushing it, and Matthew went on and calmly passed it.
“He showed no fear, and he’s a lad that we didn’t send out on loan.
“I wouldn’t really have wanted him to have the pressure of being in and about the first-team, but he handled it brilliantly, so that’s a huge bonus.”
Following in others’ footsteps
Having players like Strachan, or Cammy Harper and Lewis Hyde, follow in the footsteps of Roddy MacGregor and Dan MacKay in making a first-team impact is encouraging to all of the young talents at the club, according to Dodds, who said: “It gives every other youngster at this club – which is one that has produced youngsters for a lot of years now – inspiration. Look at what happens.
“We’ve got boys out on loan, we’re down to the bare bones, he comes on and does pretty well, so that’s great.”
Youngsters pitched in ahead of time
The Caley Jags manager insists he will, however, strike the balance of seeing the young like Strachan flourish, while being realistic and not putting too much pressure on them to deliver.
He added: “I wouldn’t necessarily have liked to throw Matthew into the first-team just now, or put young Calum on the bench or Keith Bray on the bench, but we are where we are.
“I know for 10 or 15 minutes, those boys won’t let us down, but I don’t really want to be doing it, because I do think it’s too early for them.
“When you get Matthew going on and showing that calmness, that’s a bonus.
“Sometimes in adversity you get something like that happening, but I would still be putting the reins on the lot of them just now.
“There are players in front of them that we thought could use loan experience, but once you put them out on loan you can’t get them back.”
Assured Hyde impressing boss Dodds
A couple of years older than Strachan and further on in his development, Dodds also singled out 20-year-old midfielder Hyde, who looked assured and confident against Raith at the weekend, for praise.
Hyde, who made 13 senior appearances last term, will equal that total early in the campaign if he faces Morton this week.
Dodds said: “Lewis got a great chance – there are things he has to learn, but he’s a big powerhouse midfielder with a great engine.
“He can be a complete midfielder if he gets the focus and experience, because he can win tackles, he can pass well and he can get forward.
“If you’re good enough and you’ve got that focus, sometimes you get a chance before your time.
“You will get an opportunity here, and a few others in the past have gone on to greater things – that will continue at this club.”
Morton have bolstered their options for the match against Caley Thistle by signing former Celtic, Hibs and Livingston defender Efe Ambrose until the end of the season.
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