Goalkeeper Mark Ridgers insists he is as hungry as ever to show he’s good enough to be play weekly for Caley Thistle.
The experienced shot-stopper dropped out of the team when he was subbed off at half-time in the 4-0 Championship defeat at Morton in October and he’s not played since.
Cammy Mackay has been between the posts, but Ridgers, whose 86 clean sheets in a club record, is being drafted in for Saturday’s SPFL Trust Trophy tie at Hamilton Accies.
It will be an Inverness team largely consisting of under-18s, which the club announced on Monday due to their ongoing injury crisis – with nine first-team players unavailable.
The 32-year-old paid the price for one mistake too many in the eyes of manager Billy Dodds and the pair spoke about their feelings in a clear-the-air showdown the Monday after the Cappielow loss.
It has been a tough time for ICT, with no wins in their last seven league games and only a 3-2 victory over Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup within that period lifted the mood.
‘Frustrating’ spell on the sidelines for Ridgers
Inverness-born Ridgers explained he is determined to help ICT book their place in the quarter-finals of the SPFL Trust Trophy, which the club has won three times previously.
He said: “When I first came here, I played a lot of games.
“You make mistakes, but I don’t think I’ve made many mistakes since coming here, so it’s frustrating.
“When you’re not winning games, you want to get out there and help the team, but at the moment there’s nothing I can do.
“I just have to work hard in training, try and impress the manager, and that’s all I can do.
“At the end of the day, you want to get back playing, and this is an opportunity for me on Saturday.”
Keeper aiming to earn place back
And Ridgers reckons the chat between himself and Dodds should pave the way for a fresh chance should he come in and impress once more.
He said: “When I had a discussion with the manager, I think we were both fair.
“If the opportunity does come around for me, I’m hoping the favour will be returned.
“At the moment it’s about training hard and supporting Cammy, and enjoying playing when I get the chance.
“I’ve got no doubt about what I can bring to the team, so of course I’d love to get back in to help the boys push back up the table.”
Ridgers determined to win cup again
Ridgers helped ICT win the Challenge Cup – as it is also called – in 2017/18, and he is urging the younger lads who go into first-team mode against Hamilton to not treat the Hamilton tie lightly.
He added: “I’ve won this competition.
“I said that to a few of the young boys, in football, winning trophies – no matter what it is – doesn’t happen often unless you’re playing for an Old Firm team.
“When you get to a final and win a trophy, it’s a brilliant moment no matter what it is.
“These guys are going to be nervous, there’s no doubt about that. Their parents, friends and family will be coming down, and I think there’s a supporters’ bus as well, which is great to see.
“It’s an opportunity for them to go out there and enjoy the occasion.
⏪ When Carl Tremarco took the cup to the Highlands 🔴🔵🏆#TBT | @ICTFC pic.twitter.com/G4CSCqY3yB
— SPFL (@spfl) December 8, 2022
“We’ll be going down on the bus and having a pre-match meal, so we’re treating this as a first-team game and these guys will get to experience that.
“Also, Ryan Esson is my goalie coach, but he’s their outfield player coach, and I know how much work he puts in with them.
“It’s an opportunity to reward him as well for the hard work that he puts in with them, to go out and show what his team is capable of doing.”
‘Strange’ experience at ICT training
Ridgers, who will use his experience in the game to guide the young lads through the tie, explained training this week has been strange, with it being a build-up like no other.
He said: “This week we’ve literally trained with 11 outfield players and the goalkeepers.
“It’s strange, really unique – we’ve had one or two boys come back, but then something happens to someone else.
“I’ve never been in a situation like this, it’s bizarre really.
“We’re just getting on with it and doing what we have to do.”
All tickets for this Saturday's SPFL Trust Trophy match against Hamilton Accies will now cost £3
Ticket Info & Club Statement regarding the match 👉 https://t.co/rADtXcepEY pic.twitter.com/803FGpeVGn
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) December 6, 2022
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