Mark Ridgers says the young players in Caley Thistle’s squad must quickly understand the magnitude of the club’s current situation.
Inverness manager Duncan Ferguson made significant changes to his squad during the January transfer window, with seven players arriving.
Aside from Cammy Kerr and Alex Samuel who joined on loan from fellow Scottish clubs Dundee and Ross County respectively, Ferguson focused his recruitment south of the border.
Of the five English-based players who joined, 22-year-old defender Remi Savage, who joined from Newcastle United, is the eldest.
While Ridgers acknowledges the talent of the incoming players, the experienced goalkeeper insists they must be prepared to step up to the responsibility of keeping Inverness in the Championship.
Ridgers said: “A lot of the boys who have come in, especially from down south, have just played academy and reserve football at under-21 level.
“When you come up, the magnitude of the games change. For me, it is a big test for them right now because they are potentially in a relegation battle as well, where results mean everything.
“At the level they were previously at, you can get away with a defeat here and there.
“But they need to realise – and the manager has drummed it into them – that these are men’s games, if you want to call them that.
“These are massive games for the football club and the future of the football club, and everyone involved.
“We know what has to be done. Like I said before, they now know what has to be done.
“While they are here, playing for this club, they have to give 110% and realise it means a lot more, for a lot more people, than just coming up here and getting a few games of football.”
Goalkeeper hopes his experience can rub off on young team-mates
Ridgers has racked up more than 250 games since joining hometown club Inverness from Partick Thistle in 2017.
The 33-year-old acknowledges he and his experienced teammates have a role to play in taking the burden away from the younger members of the squad.
Ridgers added: “One thing I’ve noticed is a lot of younger generation footballers take defeats an awful lot harder.
“Go on social media and you see them getting criticised. It takes longer for them to bounce back.
“Players like myself, Billy Mckay, Danny Devine and Aaron Doran have to try and keep the mood up.
“We are a good team. We know we’re a good team. Results recently haven’t shown that, but we showed it when the manager first came in.
“We’ve got players capable of being matchwinners and if we can take some of the pressure off the young boys off the field, to let them enjoy training, then on the Saturday they can go and perform.
“Because there’s no doubting they are good players.
“Football can be strange and the situation we could find ourselves in could be a massive test of character, not just for them but for everyone involved in the football club.
“A couple of words have been said after a few games. It is massive that they realise quickly what kind of situation they could find themselves in.”
Caley Jags gearing up for crunch fixture
Inverness, who are eighth in the table, face bottom-placed Arbroath in a crucial match at Gayfield.
Six points separate the sides at present, with Inverness among a congested pack of teams looking to avoid the threat of relegation.
With 12 games remaining, Ridgers knows there is plenty time to change the complexion of the season.
He added: “There’s a cliche in football that no team is too good to be relegated and that is true.
“We have to be positive and look forward – we could potentially still find ourselves in a good position come the end of the season – but realistically in the short-term it is about getting results.
“We have to be aware of what’s below us as well. If this game on Saturday goes the wrong way, we could find ourselves looking at the wrong play-offs.
“We need to start winning games.”
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