Caley Thistle manager John Hughes has challenged players nearing the end of their contracts to earn a place in his plans.
Hughes and assistant manager Brian Rice this week signed two-year contract extensions, and attention will now turn towards securing the futures of the players, with only Gary Warren, Josh Meekings, Greg Tansey and Richie Foran contracted beyond next summer.
Talks have already started with midfielder Ross Draper, who has been
offered a three-year deal, but Hughes has warned the rest of his squad not to take offers for granted.
Hughes said: “Now I’m sorted we can get down to business and hopefully get some of the players tied up, but there’s a part of me telling them to go out and earn new deals.
“We need to get back to winning ways and the consistency we had last year.
“I’ve seen many a player in the last six or four months of their contract hitting great heights, but I’ve also seen many a player who has just signed a new contract put their tools away.
“We’ve told the players, if it’s not them it will be somebody else. Man of the match performances in every game they play usually convinces the manager they are the right sort.
Every day they have to go out and train like a world champion. We’re trying to get the recruitment right at the club and keep bringing trialists and players in.
“If players are sitting back, resting on their laurels, thinking they’re secure here, my job is to replace them.”
Hughes also said there is scope for him to add players during the January transfer window, with Crawley Town midfielder Conor Henderson recently spending time at Inverness on trial.
Inverness have struggled for consistency this season, and are eighth in the Premiership going into tomorrow’s game against Hearts at Tynecastle on the back of successive defeats.
Hughes added: “I want us to get going, get the season under way and start hitting the heights we hit last year. We’re not going to win every game, we know that. But we got plenty of plaudits last year. There has to be a belief that, doing the way we did it brings success.
“Hopefully from now until the end of the season we can keep everybody injury-free, and bring in one or two after Christmas, and it’s all to play for once again.”