I've been asked by the magazine "four four two" for a new column they're doing to choose ICT's best and worst foreign player of all time (not republic of Ireland). So I thought I'd ask for opinions on this? Give a reason for each as well please!

Cheers.

Probably Gil makes it above Berjam Fetai for the worst. Best, hmmm. I guess it's between Niculae, Mihaidjuks (even though he was rubbish for Dundee Utd), Gillet, Hastings and Xausa. For me, it's between the last two. Mihadjuks was great but coming in for the last few games of a relegated season isn't worth legend status. Xausa scored a lot of important goals but I'd give it to Hastings. He was a rock in the team for a number of years and should have been here longer, if it were not for some blind spot with Djebi-Zadi (and Proctor, who I think made Hastings game suffer by him having to constantly cover for him). Gillet needs to play a bit more to solidify his place.

Marius Niculae. May not have scored enough and may have tryed to sue us but it cant be denied that he was a talent. Had great ability and vision and most of his goals were pretty decent. Juanjo was great up till he got injured, dont think he can be discredited.

Lionel Djebi-Zadi, Fetai, Vetle Andersen, Zibi Malkowski, Blumenshtein. Just some names of the foreign duds you could mention.

The thing about foreign players is that they tend not to stick around for very long. Hastings is the big exception to that one, although he did leave then come back. Presumably if we ranked our foreign players by appearances alone he'd be top by miles. But who would be next?

There might be a case to say Sergei Baltacha for both ......

On paper, he was the most experienced player we have ever had and its hard to question his playing pedigree before he ended up in Inverness .... 45 full caps for the then USSR, and almost 300 appearances for Dinamo Kiev before going to Ipswich then St Johnstone and onwards to manage Caledonian Thistle in Div3 .... but on the field, and in the dugout a complete let down

Marco DeBarros was another who flattered to deceive, as was Vetle Andersen. Lionel has to be in there somewhere too. Paatelainen had potential I think, but due to injury we wont ever know. Does Tom Parratt count as foreign? born in Inverness but raised in USA?

OK - I can choose only 1 ..... so going to go for Sergei .... such a great player in his day, but the entire 94/95 season was an "off-day" !

On the plus side, Juanjo and Marius Niculae go to the top of my list at first thought, but I have to say that leaving aside the domestics (inc Eire), then we do have a triumvirate of fantastic Frenchmen who, given more time at ICT, may eclipse the others in terms of the value they add to the team. Kenny Gillet leads that particular race right now, but Tade's goals are helping and Gnakpa will either be "loved or Lionelled" depending on how he continues ! I think Dani Sanchez may also have developed into a cult figure for us if we had kept him, and who knows how Piermayr or Golobart will shape up over coming months (years?).

However, depite his failings (being extremely left sided for one), you also cannot look too far beyond Richard Hastings. An international throughout most of his ICT career, and if memory serves me correctly he also played (early rounds in) the Champions League for Grazer or Maastricht ... but is he foreign? He may have been born in Canada but spent most of his life in the highlands.

So ... to choose only 1 .... which one !!! mmmmm ....... In terms of technical ability I would probably have to go for Marius then Juanjo with an honorable mention for Sergei, but I mentioned "the value they add to the team" above and if this is how I make my decision I would have to risk giving Caley100 a coronary, and go for Richard Hastings. Over his entire ICT career, and when compared to the others, Richard probably added the most to the team. Never a superstar, under-rated by some, and over-rated by others, he was at the very least capable and dependable for most of his career.

I have a feeling that if Kenny Gillet sticks around for a season or two, that he may be the one to take over the mantle of best "foreigner" though ....

PS CaleyTeenager - great topic BTW !!!!

How come Republic of Ireland is exempt from this? Aye and what about the Kingdom of Fife? Is that also exempt?

For me the worst was Fetai........he thought he was gods gift to football and too good to be with us. As it turns out he's actually grown up now and is quite successful.

And the best may have been Niculae.......what would he have brought to the club had he had a Hayes, a Foran, a Shinnie or even a Ross to serve him. Sadly he left under a cloud. So to my choice...........has to be Juanjo just for his ball skills alone.

Hope it's not to much to ask also that the magazine have also asked me to put my favourite memory about them! So any ideas would be great! The magazine will be in shops on march 1st if you are interested in having a read at all!

My favourite memory of Juanjo is the way, by magic, he grew 3 foot 6 to stick the heid in Lennon

The best foreigners that i've enjoyed to watch has been Juanjo and Xausa, both have proved themselves at SPL level in the past. However i don't think we've ever had that many that were excellent But for what Hastings means to this club i pick him.

As for the worst, we've had a lot of stinkers, you could say someone like Zibi, Blumenshtein or Gathuessi because they really didn't contribute anything to Inverness but Djebi Zadi is my favourite for worst player as he was the most disruptive for the team over a couple years and not just a few games like the rest.

I thought i'd also mention that i think Johnny Hayes is our best official foreigner but Ireland has been omitted from this discussion.

Edited January 30, 201214 yr by ICTPAISLEY

Best: Juanjo

Worst Markus Paataleinen

Best: Probably Niculae. Super touch and awareness of space and the only ICT player thus far to have played in a major international championship while at the club. Best moment was his lone frontman performance when we came back to beat Celtic 3-2. I hope the memory of him isn't soured by legal case as he was a thoroughly decent bloke. Very honorouble mention to Jaunjo and for some reason I struggle to see Hastings as foreign otherwise he's a shoe in.

Worst: Vetle f**king Andersen (Enough people call him that to convince me that was his middle name)

worst vetle anderson, only guy to continually clear the lines sideways right across the goal mouth.

Morrais impressed on his debut, he just turned up for a cup match and got stuck in but then a pacy winger also impressed in his debut against Forres Mechanics but hes countries exempt, I also like the look of our latest recruit but one player doesnt win a match so I'll wait and see how he fits in, and a certain left back is improving all the time.

Have we joined a new union with the Republic of Ireland? Will they share the same head of state?

It has to be Vetle for worst player.

Edited January 30, 201214 yr by CapitalCaley

Best - Richard Hastings. Born in Canada and lived the first 7 years of his life in Canada. That makes him Canadian.

He's not Scottish, not British and not Irish and therefore by the definitions here of being foreign, he's foreign.

Worst - Andy Barrowman - if coming from another planet (or Wishaw) counts as being foreign. :alien:

Best would be Hastings for his overall meaning to the club, then Jaunjo and Niculae.

Worst, although all was not that bad, but it had to be the players and crowds reactions to Lionel D-Z, it was like a melting mars bar floating in a swimming pool, total panic!

Edited January 31, 201214 yr by bauhaus

Not adding anything new here but heres my tuppence for what its worth.

My bests...

Davide Xausa, he was my hero just as I was becoming an ICT fan and old enough to appreciate football and I always loved seeing him play.

Juanjo, he was our best player in our first SPL season IMO and I was devasted when he never came back from injury. One of my favourite memories of him was in a match at Pittodrie against Hearts when the ball broke to him and he was all alone in their half with just Craig Gordon to beat he tried to go round him but forgot the ball and Gordon picked it up.. Why I like a story about him fluffing I don't know. Perhaps because he always wanted to do things the flashy way.... His celebrations were never bad either.

Marius Niculae, there was no doubting he was a class act and I always thought it was really exciting to see him in an ICT shirt. My memory of him would be him celebrating with fans after his first goal and he seemed to always score 2 goals when he scored.

But my absolute best would probably be Richard Hastings, simply for season after season of steady performances. Always thought he was excellent and can't really remember him having any blunders. Also the fact the guy is the 10th most capped Canadian footballer adds to his credentials as best foreigner.

Worsts..

I'm too young to remember Vetle Anderson but forever see his name in 'worst player' compilations

Bajram Fetai, he was bloody excellent to watch at half time.. all the tricks of the day but always flattered to deceive on the pitch.

Marcus Paatelainen and Gil Blumenstein kinda fall under the same 'flattered to deceive' heading. I just think that when we sign foreign players we expect them to be good just because they are foreign.

Zibi Malkowvski because after 8 minutes in an ICT shirt he gave away a goal and he was sh1te before coming to us as well,

Also, caleyteenager, out of interest, how did you get this job?

Best: Whatever his wage bill or off the field antics, Marius Niculae was definitely the best. May not have been the most productive but purely in terms of ability, the level he has played at etc he has to be defined as the best. Juanjo was much more fun but not in the same league.

Worst: Fetai. Don't have to say any more do I?

They were asking for a fan from each team in the spl to get in contact with them! So I did and they asked me this!

Don't know if you could officially count him, but the trialist Giany Joinville had to have a mentioned. He was so bad it was funny! He Lionel Djebi-Zadi look like Roberto Carlos!

Edited January 31, 201214 yr by Renegade

Most classy player has to be Marius, he was a step above once he got fit.

Worst was Fetai - could'nt be ar5ed

Cant understand all the votes for Hastings, fair enough he was no bad during his first spell here, but after he came back????? he was shyte. couldnt cross a ball to save himself, nah.... he could'nt tie Gillet's laces.

Worst; Vetle Anderssen

Best; Marius Niculae

Don't know if you could officially count him, but the trialist Giany Joinville had to have a mentioned. He was so bad it was funny! He Lionel Djebi-Zadi look like Roberto Carlos!

The 6 ft 5 centre half that got balled at br Mikey Fraser all game? he was a classic.

Thierry Gathuessi played once for us i think and after that never again, wasnt a great player for us or Hibs.