Young gun Calum MacKay insists he’s ready, willing and able to shine for Caley Thistle if and when called upon.
The 17-year-old starlet was one of nine teenagers who played for Inverness in Saturday’s 2-0 SPFL Trust Trophy defeat at Hamilton in the all-Championship clash with a difference.
Due to a nine-man-deep injury list, Inverness confirmed last week they would be fielding a mainly under-18s side at New Douglas Park against an Accies team which had a mixture of youth and reasonably experienced players.
An early Sam Nixon own goal and a Reegan Mimnaugh strike put John Rankin’s team into the quarter-finals, however, they meet again at the same venue this Saturday in the league with points at stake.
Mid-table ICT have not posted a league win since beating Cove Rangers 1-0 in October, while Hamilton are two points adrift at the foot of the table.
Forward MacKay, who was described as “excellent” by coach Ryan Esson at full-time, speaks with maturity and played with confidence in his second start for the side.
He’s been one of the young lads who has been part of the first-team pool, making his debut in a 3-3 draw with Brechin City earlier in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
Earlier debut helped settle MacKay
And the younger brother of 21-year-old on-loan Hibs starlet Dan explained he didn’t suffer nerves before the match and is keen to make an impact should boss Billy Dodds give him the nod.
He said: “It was a good experience for all the boys.
“It was a young team, but it helped having Mark Ridgers in goals – he brings that experience.
“Just getting out there and having that opportunity was something that everybody appreciated. That’s where we all want to be.
“I was quite confident, because I’d had a game under my belt already. I wanted to try and be more of a leader of the pitch for those lads making their debuts.
“It’s been good for me to be part of the first-team squad this year – I’m happy to be there. If I’m needed, I’m ready to go on.”
Chances to score after early opener
MacKay was pleased by how the team responded to the loss of an early goal and felt there were lessons learned by Accies’ cutting edge.
He said: “We lose goals in games, but it’s about how you react to them that counts.
“I thought we did well with the chances we had. We could have scored and taken the game to them.
“That’s what happens in first-team football. There is a difference.
“If you make a mistake in an 18s game, it might lead to a chance, but it might not lead to a goal. Hamilton were ruthless, they’ve been there and done it.”
1️⃣4️⃣ 𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 in todays match-day squad!
Congratulations to all young players involved, despite the circumstances, you have all deserved this moment for the hard work you’ve put in over the years 👏
A very proud moment for the all in the academy ❤️💙 https://t.co/DYslvMRfbv
— ICTFC Academy (@ICTFC_Academy) December 10, 2022
MacKay spells out long-term goals
And MacKay is sure the youngsters can only take heart from such a positive performance as they push for first-team minutes and to remain in Dodds’ mind.
He added: “The pathway is there for us. Myself and Matthew Strachan have had (first-team) game time and Keith (Bray) and Aaron (Nicolson) have been on the bench, so although we’ve not had the experience of some of the Hamilton players, we’re still young.
“Games like Saturday will give the boys confidence and the chance to hopefully give the gaffer something to think about next year and maybe get to sign full-time contracts.”
Sixth-placed Inverness will return to a more usual line-up at Accies this weekend in the Championship, with fourth-spot six points away and Ayr United nine points in front of them.
