Still hard work ahead for new Inverness Caledonian Thistle Max Ram signing after return
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Caley Thistle defender Max Ram knows he still has work to do to get back to 100 per cent sharpness, but he is pleased to have taken a major step forward in his recovery by getting back on the pitch.
After being forced off 14 minutes into his Inverness debut against Kelty Hearts in the opening match of the Premier Sports Cup group stage, Ram finally returned to action against Brechin City last Saturday.
He played for an hour, getting his first taste of competitive football in two and-a-half months.
Such a long lay-off means it will still take time to reach his full potential, but as far as Ram is concerned a major hurdle is out of the way.
“My last competitive game was Kelty, and that was short lived, only 10 minutes really,” Ram explained.
“Since then I’ve been working hard to get back fit, so it was nice just to be back out there and get some minutes in my legs.
“The sharpness will come another time, but I felt good, fit and strong, so hopefully I can kick on now.
“It was tough to be honest. I moved all the way up here and I never really got going.
“It was hard, but you’ve just got to stick through it and see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“I’m finally through it now, but it was tough, I’m not going to lie.”
Even when he does build up that match sharpness, there is no lack of competition for Ram in defence.
Danny Devine and Robbie Deas have established themselves as the first choice pairing in the heart of defence when available, while Wallace Duffy and summer recruit Zak Delaney have also featured in central defence to add strings to their respective bows.
Ram, though, is up for the challenge – despite Inverness having found form over recent weeks in the Championship.
“(Danny and Robbie are) very good defenders, a very good partnership,” he reasoned.
“Opportunities always come, and you’ve just got to take it with both hands when it does.
“It’s not all about yourself though, it’s about the team. You have to be there for everyone else, and the team is in my best interests as well, so I’ll do it for them.
“It’s tough, we went through a period where we weren’t doing too well, but now we’re trying to get back into the swing of things.
“We’ve had a few wins on the bounce now which is good, and the confidence of the team is definitely growing. You just want to try and help as much as you can.
“When the confidence is high, it’s easier to come back in, but at the same time you need to be up to speed with everyone else because they’re doing so well. It’s harder in that sense too.”
