Greg Tansey will not rush a decision on his Caley Thistle future
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Out of contract at the end of the season, Tansey says there are numerous factors he needs to weigh up before making a final call, with the distance between him and his family a key one.
He remains happy at Caley Thistle and does not want talk of his future to distract from matters on the park, as he feels the club deserves better than that.
The ever-present midfielder, who rejoined the Caley Jags in January 2014, indicated over the summer that he would not entertain discussing a new contract for the time being.
Manager Richie Foran has indicated he will not hassle Tansey or Josh Meekings over contracts, something which Tansey appreciates.
Tansey spoke openly yesterday on his thoughts for the future and will not rush into making a snap-decision.
“You don’t want to rush a decision. It’s awkward because I’m so happy here,” he said. “The offer came at a time where I wasn’t expecting to be offered anything, so it came as a bit of a surprise. I’m concentrating on my football because if you think of anything outside football, it can detract from your performances and the club deserves more than that.
“I’m weighing things up to be honest. It’s not that I don’t want to stay here – it’s a big decision in my career and I don’t want to rush. First and foremost I don’t want anything to disrupt what happens on a Saturday, because that’s the main thing.
“I’m really grateful to the club for what they’ve done for me. I think I’ve done a fair amount for the club too, so I’ve got a lot of respect for the club and staff.
“You learn each year and I always used to hear people say ‘if only I knew now what I did when I was younger’ and that’s true. I love it here but I understand I’ve got to take time to think about what I want to do.
“I’ve got friends and family back home that I haven’t seen for four or five years because I’ve lived away. That’s a big factor – people might understand that more than anything else.
“When you’re living away from your family for five years it comes to a time when you need to think of your next step, purely from a personal point of view. There’s a lot of factors and that’s why I don’t want to rush it.”
Tansey has been a virtual ever-present since his return and his not missed a game through injury.
His performances, key to the Caley Jags finishing in the top half of the table, attracted the attention of Aberdeen in January. The protracted transfer saga, where Aberdeen believed they had met Tansey’s release clause, never came to be.
Foran announced earlier this month that he would be leaving Tansey alone to focus on his football, something which the midfielder appreciates.
“The gaffer has been brilliant since he came in. A lot of people were surprised when he got the job, but we weren’t,” said Tansey. “I’ve seen him as a coach for the past couple of years because he had a big influence in the dressing room.
“People are saying the rewards now because the lads are behind him – we’ll run ourselves into the ground for him. We feel in the coming weeks and months, we’ll get the benefits of that and won’t be looking over shoulders. We’ll be up the table.”
Dundee await the Caley Jags this weekend, on the back of three positive results in the Premiership.
Old faces Nick Ross, Danny Williams and James Vincent will be in the opposing line-up tomorrow with the Dark Blues on a run of five games without a win.
The mood up in Inverness is much more positive, particularly as far as Alex Fisher is concerned.
After a serious ankle injury derailed his early Caley Thistle career, he has worked his way back into the first-team fold and grabbed his first goal in the 2-2 draw with Celtic.
Foran is full of admiration for the striker, who has earned his chance.
“His attitude is great. He’s a deep-thinker and a positive guy. He wants to improve so much and always looks for a bit of help, to do a bit extra,” said Foran. “He deserves every penny of his wages, that’s how I’d describe him.
“I was more over the moon for him more than anyone else, me or the team, with that goal, because he deserves it. I’m hoping that can give him a bit more confidence and he can show us a bit more.”
