The Championship season has ended too early for Scott Allan who feels he is approaching peak form just as his Caley Thistle loan spell comes to a close.
Midfielder Allan has enjoyed a productive loan spell since making the temporary switch from Hibernian in March, making eight appearances for the Highlanders.
Allan made the move with a view to getting much-needed game time, after spending five months sidelined earlier this season following his diagnosis with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
The heart condition led to him suffering from periods of fatigue and dizziness when he undertook exercise.
Having made four substitute appearances for Jack Ross’ men following his return to action in January, Allan feels his spell with Inverness has taken him a major step on his way back to his best form.
The 29-year-old reckons Caley Jags supporters would have seen even better from him had he spent a longer stint at Caledonian Stadium.
Allan said: “First and foremost it was just about getting back playing – and I’ve played every game since I’ve been here.
“I can complete 90 minutes quite easily now, which I hadn’t done for a long time – even before I had the news.
“For me, I’m starting to feel like my true self again.
“It takes six or seven games to get motoring properly so, for me, the season is finishing a bit too early.
“If it was January, we’d maybe see the best of me now.
“I feel like the things I’m good at are starting to come back – the passes, touches and, most importantly, completing 90 minutes.”
Allan hopes the faith shown in him by Caley Jags interim boss Neil McCann has been rewarded, having featured in every game since his switch north.
Allan will now turn his focus on to re-establishing himself as a starting player at Easter Road, and he added: “I’m very grateful to the club for taking me here and to Neil McCann for playing me.
“They took a wee gamble, as people might have seen it, but I knew myself if I got the chance I’d be fine and prove to people that I’m still ready to go.
“I have proved a point to myself, in terms of knowing the levels I can get back to.
“A player like me, with the experience I have, people will have seen a lot of hard work in me as well, which they don’t always associate with my game.
“I came up here and it was a bit of a humbling experience for me, at times, to be fair.
“It has been about being a real team player and working really hard every day for all the boys here.
“I just think it is going to be invaluable for me, moving forward, and stand me in good stead for the Premiership next season.
“I think I’ve still got some of my best years ahead of me considering how I’m feeling.”
Although Inverness narrowly missed out on a play-off place, Allan feels the foundations are in place for Caley Jags to make a stronger push for promotion next season.
He added: “Two or three weeks before I came, the club was not in a great place near the relegation places.
“A great bunch of boys worked hard every day and you can see how disappointed everyone was not to make the play-offs.
“If we could have pout that sort of form together earlier in the season, we’d have been in the play-offs relatively easily.
“I’ll obviously not be here next year, but I think if the club can continue to set the standards they have since I’ve been here they will be looking to go up next season.”