Inverness Caley Thistle record holder Mark Ridgers hurt by ‘terrible’ communication for club after becoming a free agent
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Mark Ridgers says he has been left hurt and frustrated by a complete lack of communication from Inverness Caledonian Thistle over recent weeks.
The 33-year-old is now a free agent, having seen his contract in the Highland capital expire last night.
He had been told at the start of 2024 that manager Duncan Ferguson wanted to keep hold of him for next season, but a formal offer was never forthcoming.
Since the last game of the 2023/24 campaign against Hamilton, Ridgers says he has not heard from anyone at Caley Thistle – whether about his own future, or any of the other headlines surrounding the club.
That, as far as he is concerned, is the most disappointing aspect of all.
“With everything that’s been going on, my biggest frustration is not having any contact from anyone at the club regarding my situation,” he revealed.
“Right now, I am available. A lot of people think I’ve signed, but I’m a free agent right now. My contract ran out yesterday and usually, in any other situation I’ve been in, I would have been approached beforehand.
“Being really honest, it hurts. What also hurt was the fact that this training ground situation happened without any senior player being spoken to as far as I’m aware.
“If we had stayed in the Championship, they’ve said they were still going to do it, so if I had signed a contract I was verbally told I was going to be offered, that would have affected me. Surely we should have been talked to about it, but we weren’t.
“I’m not stupid – I completely understand the situation the club is in, but nobody has said they still want me to stay, or they can’t afford to keep me anymore because of the situation. It’s just been silence.
“The surprising thing about the whole situation over these last few weeks is that we haven’t been told. We are only seeing what’s in the media, so it’s a lack of communication. It’s been terrible.
“There are players like myself who are wondering what’s happening, and when you haven’t heard anything you’re just hoping.
“We can’t stand still. This is our career, we’ve got to make money and we’re basically unemployed now.
“I understand the situation the club is in, but it only takes two seconds to pick up the phone to someone. Personally, that’s what I would have expected, but that hasn’t been the case.”
As far as what next season has in store for him, Ridgers is open to any opportunities – even if that means leaving the Highlands again.
One thing he would like to do is work towards becoming a coach, as he begins to plan for life after hanging up his gloves for the last time.
“To me, if the club wanted to keep me, it was up to them,” Ridgers explained.
“I haven’t shut the door on the club completely, but I’ve had conversations with some teams and coaches where I told them I wanted to see what the situation at Caley was.
“I have maybe shot myself in the foot by telling other clubs that I wanted to wait and see, because one opportunity I possibly had has gone now. Was I too loyal to Inverness in that way? At the end of the day, that’s just how it goes.
“I completely understand the situation the club is in at the moment, but I have to look after myself as a player now. I can’t just sit and wait.
“I have given the club until the end of my contract, and I haven’t heard a word from them, so now I have to think about what’s best for myself and my family.
“I’m not shutting the door on going somewhere as a number two to begin with, and pushing the number one, while getting into coaching a bit more. That was something I hoped to do at Inverness, but that never materialised either.
“If a club is out there that will give me the opportunity to do that, then that’s fine. I’m open to most challenges, and I have been for my whole career.
“I’m 33, I’ve still got a good couple of years ahead of me. I still feel like I can play at the level I’ve been playing at, or even a higher level.
“I think in my time at Inverness I have proven I’m more than capable, so that’s where I have to believe that something will come up moving forward.”
While nothing is set in stone just yet, if Ridgers’ time at Caley Thistle is over, it marks the end of what has been an impressive career.
He kept a record 91 clean sheets for ICT, while also reaching a Scottish Cup final, a Scottish Cup semi final and winning two Challenge Cups in his seven years at the Caledonian Stadium.
Things may have potentially ended on a sour note, with relegation to League One for the first time in 25 years, but Ridgers can still look at his time with his hometown club with pride.
“This year was the biggest let down and disappointment I’ve had in my career,” he added.
“I was absolutely gutted for the fans and the good people at the club. It’s other people that will suffer from our performances, and I take responsibility and blame for that.
“You have to man up and take it, but the majority of the time I’ve been at the club, I have loved it.
“I have had some great moments, playing in front of friends and family. It has probably been the best time I’ve had in football.
“I was able to play consistently, and breaking the club’s clean sheet record – as a goalkeeper, that’s something you can pride yourself on.
“I’ve had an amazing time at the club. It’s disappointing if it is to end this way, but there’s nothing really I can do at the moment other than look after myself and my family.”
