Now that Richie Foran has agreed to take on the role of manager at Inverness, he has decided to hang up his playing boots to focus on his new role. His four year deal shows what the board think he can do but it will be down to Foran to show if he is worthy of their belief. Chairman Kenny Cameron said: "We are delighted to have Richie on board as the new manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC and we believe the length of contract demonstrates commitment on both sides. The board received and reviewed a high number of applications for the vacant position and Richie quickly became our preferred candidate. This was cemented further during several meetings to discuss the role, his approach and view for the future. Our decision that he is the right man to lead the club was unanimous and we look forward to working closely with him on the next stage of what has been a remarkable journey. Richie has been a great asset to the club, both on and off the park, since joining us in 2009. He particularly understands the blend of spirit, values and togetherness that makes the club what it is. The influence and passion he exhibited as a player, combined with his clear determination and knowledge will all serve him well when it comes to building on and enhancing the club’s qualities. It was only a matter of time before Richie stepped up into a management role and that time has come."
For his part Foran said: "This is a great opportunity and one I am going to relish. My intention will be to preserve continuity at the club while bringing a new freshness and playing style. Joining Caley Thistle seven years ago has proved a marvellous decision. Thanks to coming to the Highlands I now have a lovely wife, two lovely children and have had the most enjoyable part of my playing career. But I will now give up playing to fully focus on making a success of my new job. I want to push to bring further success to Caley Thistle, a special club in a special community. I want to play exciting, attacking football which entertains the supporters. I’ve identified areas in our play that I think I can improve, and I’ve identified what kind of players we need to bring in to improve our team. My target is to further strengthen the unity between supporters, directors, management and players – when we signal that we’re all on the same wavelength, that makes a huge difference. I’ve been fortunate, as club captain, to have an excellent relationship with the fans and I hope we can all move on with a scenario where everyone is focused on helping the team go forward. I would like to most sincerely thank the chairman and his fellow directors, for showing such faith in giving me this opportunity. My aim going forward is to justify their choice and give the supporters something to cheer about. There will be no wild predictions from me, I’ll now be getting on with the job quietly. I’m working on recruitment so that we’re ready to work hard when the squad returns for pre-season training"