John Hughes believes his players have now set the benchmark for what is expected at Caley Thistle.
The Highlanders have secured a top six finish for the second season in a row and reached the League Cup final for the first time in the club’s history this season.
The Scottish Premiership campaign is coming to its end but Hughes wishes it was just starting as his influence starts to show at Caledonian Stadium.
He said: “We’ve set a benchmark for next season by reaching the top six again. These lads punch above their weight, but it suits them. If you gave them modern training facilities it would spoil what we have here which is unique.
“I’d love to put pictures up around the stadium of the players mucking in together at training in setting up the goals as it would show you what this club is all about. The players would tell you themselves they are not the best in the world but put them together and they make a really good team.
“I don’t know whether it’s where they have come from to get here or what, but what I do know is that these lads play as if their lives depend on it and it makes my job as a manager easy. My job is to make sure they keep playing with those values.
“Celtic put six past us and they put five past Aberdeen which shows they are rampant just now. But we have gone toe to toe with Aberdeen and Dundee United, and we want to do the same with Motherwell and St Johnstone as we want to show we can compete at that level.”
Having secured his squad for next season Hughes has already begun planning for the long term.
Under-20 player Conor Pepper has been released as Hughes looks to the future and the manager is eager to see his players commit themselves further to the club.
He said: “We’ve let Conor go and we still have a decision to make on one or two. We have seven others who are out of contract at the end of next season and we are planning on talking to some of them now about extending their deals.
“I really don’t want the season to finish as I feel as if I have caught a second wind. The sun is coming out and the players are starting to believe in what we are doing on the training ground, and I really enjoy coaching and inspiring them.
“Saturday night was the first time I have socialised with the players and I saw how close knit a group they were. It wasn’t just the players either, it was the wives and girlfriends too. It’s things like that which might just have been enough to persuade James Vincent to stay here. Hopefully more will follow.”