Charlie Reilly is confident Caley Thistle can offer him the ideal platform to showcase what he can do while on loan from Dundee.
With League One side Inverness struggling for their financial future, one bright note last week was the arrival of attacker Reilly from the Premiership Dark Blues.
The 22-year-old is looking to cast a year of injury frustration to the sidelines and get his career back on track during his loan stint until January.
Mainly muscle injuries hampered Reilly, who was snapped up by Dundee in the summer of 2023 after showing a prolific streak for Albion Rovers, who were then in League Two.
In 2022/23, Reilly scored 24 goals and assisted 19 times for Rovers as he was named Scottish League Two player of the year and nominated for PFA Scotland’s young player of the year award.
Reilly had a short stint at Arbroath in the Championship last term before injury again hit his chances.
On Saturday, he made his Inverness debut in a 1-0 defeat at Arbroath, which leaves ICT ninth in League One after nine matches, and he said: “I am here to get minutes.
“There was interest from elsewhere, but we felt Inverness was the best move for me and for Dundee.
“I have had a hard time with injuries and I have missed out on a lot of football.
“Over the past year, I think I’ve played no more than 12 games, so coming to Inverness gives me the chance to get a run of games now.”
Reilly impressed manager Duncan Ferguson, who will be keen to see him provide a killer touch.
ICT have scored just six goals in nine league outings, albeit they have the second best defence in the division, having leaked just seven goals.
‘You need to take your chances’
Reilly believes Inverness played well enough to be leaving Angus with three points rather than none at the weekend.
He said: “It felt good. We got off to a fast start. I felt I played alright, but I am disappointed we didn’t pick up the three points which I felt we deserved,
“We were the better team for the majority of the game. The one chance Arbroath had they put away. You need to take your chances in these games.
“We hit the post a couple of times and their keeper (Aidan McAdams) made a few unbelievable saves. He was man of the match and he deserved it by pulling his team out of holes.”
‘We should have had an early penalty’
A major moment came inside the first minute when Reilly burst into the box only to be taken down by ex-Dundee United and Ross County defender Keith Watson.
Despite the loud appeals from ICT, referee Craig Napier waved play on – a decision that stunned Reilly.
He said: “It was a stonewaller, in my eyes. We watched it back afterwards.
“I got in front of (Keith Watson) and he takes me out. I can’t say much more than that.
“Had we got the penalty and scored we’d have been in control from the first minute.
“In my opinion, and in everyone else’s opinion within the team, we know it should have been a penalty. But, it wasn’t given, so we can’t dwell on it.”
‘We must do our talking on the park’
Caley Thistle face a financial fight for their future, with £200,000 needed this month alone to push away administration fears.
Fans have rallied, with the club’s Save ICT Fund tally breaking through the £60,000 mark over the weekend.
Reilly, who just met his temporary team-mates on Saturday, insists there are positive signs ahead on the park, while the club aims to get fixed off it.
He added: “We can’t do anything about what’s going on behind the scenes. Hopefully the club gets through it.
“We must do our talking on the park – stick to that and we’ll be alright.
“It was good to meet the guys on Saturday, having trained with Dundee last week.
“There are a lot of good players at Inverness, some of whom have played at high levels.
“It might just take a couple more games for them to find out more about what I’m like and the same for me, but we showed a lot of quality on the ball on Saturday, so it was good – I enjoyed it.”
No fear of facing Livi Lions in cup
This Saturday, Inverness can forget their league toils as they travel to Championship side Livingston for round four of the SPFL Trust Trophy.
Reilly sees no reason why ICT cannot extend their unbeaten run over the Lions beyond six matches, which includes two West Lothian wins in cups in 2022-2023.
He said: “If we played like we did against Arbroath, we’re more than capable of getting a win at Livingston.
“It will, of course, be a tough ask. They’re a strong side, which have just been relegated from the Premiership, but we’re a good side too.”
ICT’s next league game is on October 19 when they host Annan Athletic, who moved into eighth place, one point in front of Caley Thistle, thanks to a 1-0 weekend win over Montrose.
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