Mark Ridgers embracing inner fan while on the sideline at Inverness Caledonian Thistle
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Mark Ridgers says that as long as he is out of the starting 11, he will continue to be a fan of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Covid-19 took the 31-year-old stopper out of the side, but even after recovering he has found himself on the substitutes’ bench as long-time understudy Cameron Mackay has been given an opportunity to show what he can do with the gloves.
While naturally disappointed to not be playing, that has led to no bitterness from Ridgers, who instead becomes Mackay and his hometown team’s biggest fan from the sidelines.
“I don’t doubt myself for one moment,” Ridgers reasoned.
“Everyone keeps telling me I’m really young for a goalkeeper. I’m only 31 still, and I’ve got another two years at the club, so the most important thing at the moment is that the team is winning again.
“Me not being involved doesn’t really affect how I feel about it. Of course I want them to keep doing well so that we can keep pushing for the play-offs.
“Ideally I want to pay a part in the team getting promoted again, that would be amazing, but I just have to bide my time and continue to work hard on the training pitch and see what comes in the next few weeks.”
Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Ayr United, the Caley Jags are in strong form.
They have won all three of their most recent matches in the Championship, inching ever closer to securing a play-off spot, and Ridgers believes it shows ICT’s luck has turned after 11 winless games.
“When we were going through that run, it was difficult,” he said.
“We were drawing when we should have been winning, so it was frustrating. There were big opportunities that we let slip through our fingers, but within the group we all knew what we were capable of. We just needed that little bit of luck, little rubs of the green.
“I think we saw that in the Arbroath game with some of the goals we scored, then at Raith the red card was the turning point in the game. Those are the kind of results that change seasons.
“Since then we’ve gone three wins on the bounce which puts us in a really strong position to make the play-offs.”
