Midfielder Calum MacLeod insists Caley Thistle youngsters are relishing the chance to prove their worth in Duncan Ferguson’s first-team.
The 18-year-old is one of many local talents being pitched into action for Inverness, who were relegated from the Championship in May.
MacLeod was on loan at Highland League side Clachnacuddin last term, and two starts in ICT’s two competitive fixtures this month indicate how highly he is rated.
He made his senior debut from the bench in a 2-0 SPFL Trust Trophy defeat at Hamilton in December 2022.
Now he’s showing glimpses of being a central figure, with left-back Matthew Strachan, 19, and midfielder Keith Bray, 18, also starting ICT’s two Premier Sports Cup Group D games.
Last week, they were edged out 1-0 by fellow League One side Annan Athletic, but they swept to a 3-0 weekend win against League Two visitors Bonnyrigg Rose thanks to first half strikes from Adam Brooks, Bray and Luis Longstaff.
Higher standards – and expectations
MacLeod said: “I’ve had two starts now and it’s very different to academy football, but I am quite happy with how it’s going.
“I tried to just get into good areas. Sometimes the final ball didn’t come to me, but I made some good runs and there was plenty of space to try and create openings.
“It’s different for all the younger players. We’ve been on loan in the Highland League and this is a higher standards, with higher expectations, but we’re all enjoying it. This will be helpful in our careers.”
Ruthless first half sunk Bonnyrigg
MacLeod was delighted Inverness were crisp and sharp in the first 45 minutes as their goals gave their opponents little chance of a comeback.
He said: “I thought the first half was really good. We created a lot of chances and probably should have scored more.
“Bonnyrigg didn’t have a shot in the first half, so we really limited them.
“In the second half, it dropped off a little bit and they were on top a bit, but overall we were quite happy with how we played.”
MacLeod targets second home win
This Tuesday, ICT will be hunting down a second successive win when Arbroath, who also dropped out of the Championship last season, come calling.
Jim McIntyre’s side slipped to a surprise 3-0 defeat against Annan on Saturday, leaving them on zero points, having lost 2-0 to Dundee in midweek.
MacLeod, who appreciated being applauded off the pitch at full-time, says the team can gauge their early form against the League One title favourites.
He added: “It’s another home game and hopefully we can take advantage of that.
“It will be good for us to assess how we are against another team from our league. We can tactically learn from the game.”
ICT’s victory over Bonnyrigg moves them on to three points in Group D, meaning they are three points behind Dundee, who have won both their ties, and four points behind Annan, who have just one game to go.
After hosting Arbroath, ICT will round off their Premier Sports Cup campaign this Saturday when they tackle Premiership Dundee at Glebe Park in Brechin.
The new League One campaign kicks off on Saturday, August 3 when ICT host Dumbarton, who came up via the play-offs in May.
