Meekings targets more success for ICT
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JOSH Meekings is relaxed about his Caley Thistle future, insisting there is still much more he wants to achieve with the club.
The powerful centre half is, like many of his team-mates at Inverness, moving into the final year of his contract.
Caley Jags boss John Hughes has already spoken of his desire to start talks as soon as possible with players whose present deals expire in the summer of 2015, but Meekings is not in a hurry to begin negotiations.
The 21-year-old has become one of Caley Thistle’s most consistent players since joining the club in 2011, forming a very effective central defensive partnership with Gary Warren.
The good news for Inverness fans is that Meekings appears in no rush to break up this alliance.
"There have been no discussions as yet, but there is plenty of time for that," he said.
"I’m happy and settled in Inverness, but the main thing for me is just to concentrate on my football.
"I want to be starting every game. I had a good season last year, missing just a handful of games.
"I want to do that again, stay injury-free and try to progress as a footballer.
"As long as I’m playing, I’m happy but it’s up to me to impress the manager and keep my spot in the team.
"We’ve had some very good times in the past couple of seasons and done well in the cups too.
"It would be great to achieve more and go a bit further with the club."
Meekings has played an integral part in Caley Thistle’s recent successes, helping the club to consecutive top six finishes over the last two season’s, while Inverness have also reached a national cup final for the first time in their history during that period.
Despite these achievements, it did not stop one bookmaker this week from making Hughes the favourite to become the first Scottish Premiership manager to lose his job next season.
Meekings, however, pays no heed to what others may think about Caley Thistle, maintaining the doubters only help to further bond together what is already a very tight-knit squad.
"I’m not one who listens too much to things like that," he said. "I try to stay away from it because you can get too involved.
"But I’m sure a few of the lads have seen it and taken note and the manager saw it himself.
"It’s something that will bring us more together because that’s what we’re all about.
"Everyone works hard together as a team so we will use that as an extra incentive and, hopefully, we can go and prove people wrong.
"Everything is a challenge in football. People have opinions, people say things.
"Our job is just to go out there and do as well as we can and, hopefully, have another good season and maybe progress even further than we did last season.
"Every year you just try to better the season before.
"We’ve made the top six two seasons running and we want to make it three.
"People have written us off before and it’s down to us. Nobody can change what we do on the pitch.
"It’s up to us to fight for it, work as hard as we are doing, and hopefully it will show in the season ahead."
CALEY Thistle will wear their new home strip for the first time in Sunday’s pre-season match against Fleetwood Town, but supporters have already been able to purchase it both from the club shop and online at ictfc.com.
Junior home shirts (sizes 32-40) will be on pre-sale only. However, if fans pre-purchase a junior kit they will receive a discount and an invite along to an exclusive kids kickaround event with the coaches and players.
