Caley Thistle first-team and academy coach Gordon Nicolson praised the young players who stood up to the challenge of helping the club stay in League One.
Inverness were hampered by a 15-point deduction when administration was triggered last October.
Boss Duncan Ferguson was axed, along with his coaching staff, with Scott Kellacher moving up from his position as first-team coach level to become head coach.
Nicolson and Ross Jack stepped up from their positions as coaches within ICT’s academy to double as coaches at first-team level.
Captain Billy Mckay was installed as the assistant manager, with vice-skipper Danny Devine taking on the armband.
A largely young group of players helped Caley Thistle stay up, finishing seven points above the relegation play-off spot.
Last week, Devine, Mckay and winger Luis Longstaff agreed new deals, along with eight players aged 21 or under following suit.
Those were: goalkeeper Szymon Rebilas, 17, defenders Matthew Strachan, 19, Jack Walker, 19, Sam Nixon, 18, midfielders Robbie Thompson, 21, Shae Keogh, 18, Calum MacLeod, 18, and striker Sam Reid, 16.
Fans’ agony – to joy on their faces
Nicolson said: “When you step into the adult environment as a kid, the points in games mean so much to the playing and coaching staff – and to the football club overall.
“You look to the stand and what our fans have had to deal with and contrast that and now see the joy in their faces.
“After the Arbroath game, when we won 3-0 at the Caledonian Stadium, and Annan lost at Dumbarton, you could see on the pitch, and to the fans, what it meant to stay up.
“That’s the difference between academy and first-team football, especially this season, the stakes are so much higher. Everything is up a notch in terms of importance.
“We asked the younger boys to come in and stand up and be counted. They can say, with absolute certainty, they all played their part.
“The senior players too, such as Billy Mckay and Danny Devine, were brilliant with the young guys, setting standards in training every single day.
“The young lads had to match those high standards all the time. We had a terrific group of players, who thoroughly deserved the plaudits they got for staying in the league.”
Long days and nights were no issue
Nicolson, who is a senior academy coach, explained his satisfaction of seeing academy graduates make the breakthrough in such a tough term.
He said: “The gaffer, Ross Jack and Billy Mckay and I were out on the grass every day with the boys.
“On top of that, you do your homework on the opposition and video work before and after games.
“We then just made ourselves available to help, then Ross and I also had our academy duties in the evening.
“But that’s football – you enjoy it.
“There was the contrast between the areas – the intensity of high stakes at first-team level and the more development nature of the academy work.
“It was an incredible period, not just as a learning experience, just an experience in its own right.
“It has been great to see what the gaffer’s doing with the first-team and where he’s trying to go with it.
“In your academy role, you try to teach the kids what it might look like for them when they come through.
“With my academy hat on, it’s been great to see kids like Ben Gardiner and Sam Thompson break through.
“They were involved a lot in training sessions with the first-team and acquitted themselves well.
“Ben made a few appearances towards the end of the season and Calum MacLeod played some really important games in the middle of the park.
“It was nice to see these kids playing and making an impact. They helped the boys achieve the ultimate aim of staying in League One.”
Pathway exists for younger players
Nicolson reckons the success of the starlets can only encourage the even younger players aiming to become full-time pros in the seasons ahead.
He added: “From an academic perspective, you hope it has given some of those younger kids a target, to see there is a pathway at this club – a manager and staff there who believe in them. They will have a chance.
“Having an academy background is not a bad thing with such a young squad.
“We must have had the youngest squad in the league.”
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