Caley Thistle striker Chanka Zimba grateful Scott Kellacher took a chance on him

Chanka Zimba drove “a million miles” from home to land up in the Highlands – and then bumped into a former Liverpool team-mate.

The Caley Thistle attacker admits it has been an unexpected pleasure to find himself plying his trade in the far north of the UK alongside Remi Savage.

The pair were youths who crossed paths within the English giants’ academy system.

Neither would have expected their career trajectories to converge years later in Inverness, but the coincidence helped Zimba settle quickly after moving 375 miles north from the family base on Merseyside.

It is all beginning to click for the talented 23-year-old who admits he took time out earlier this year to consider what kind of future he still had in the game.

A former Cardiff City youth player, he had found his progress stalling after loan moves from the Welsh club to Northampton Town, Newport County and Maidenhead United.

After an indifferent non-league spell with Marine on Merseyside, he could easily have opted for a part-time career and a job in the real world.

Instead, the call came from Scott Kellacher, Caley Thistle’s persuasive manager.

After netting his fifth goal in four games for ICT last weekend away to Queen of the South, it feels like he has made the right move.

Chanka, whose family originally hail from Zambia, said: “I signed my first pro contract at Cardiff City, which is literally a million miles away from here!

“From there, I went on a few loan spells that didn’t work out the way I wanted them to, but I took a lot of experience from that.

“Then I took some time away from football, really for a think about how I wanted my career to go. It was not necessarily about leaving the game, but more about how high I could see myself playing.

“Could I seriously get to the place I wanted to get to, when I was younger?

“I put in a lot of work with a personal trainer in the off-season and then, luckily, I got the call from Scott Kellacher.

“I was convinced straight away – he is a very bubbly guy, so it wasn’t too hard to convince me!

“He told me there were a great bunch of lads here and that he thought I could make a good impact on the team.

“Now, it is just about repaying the faith he has shown in me.

“I drove all the way up. It took me a very long time!

“I settled in pretty well, pretty fast with the boys. I knew Remi Savage from years ago when we were at Liverpool together for a little bit.

“I also know Liam Sole, who is friends with someone I used to play with.

“That made it easy to settle in with the boys and all of them are pretty nice, to be fair – it is just their accents that get me sometimes!

“I’m getting used to it now.

“We’re always meeting up after training, whether that is watching the football on a Saturday or Sunday or the Champions League in midweek.

“It is nice to be that close to your team-mates. I don’t think I’ve had that at other clubs.”

Assistant coach lends helping hand

With one of his competitors for the jersey also the assistant manager, there is an extra novelty for Zimba – but Billy Mckay’s dual influence is helping him.

He stressed: “I’ve never had it before, a team-mate who is a coach, but it’s been good.

“He talks to me literally all the time.

“He has a lot of experience, even in England, and it can only help me.

“Mostly, he’s one of the lads, but when training needs to pick up, he goes back into coach mode and gets us back up to speed.”

Zimba used the Challenge Cup where he netted a hat-trick against Aberdeen’s under-20 side and another against Stirling Albion as springboard into league action.

He is content at progress.

He stressed: “We’ve started very well, with a lot of wins and we’re playing good football – and scoring goals, which is important.

“The mentality is strong. It is a tiny group and the boys really get along with one another.

“We want to win games of football and, so far, we’re doing exactly that.

“It is not easy, but we work hard for it in training and take it out on the pitch. We’ve got a good mix of experienced and young players.

“Everyone has quality, so if you’re not playing well you come out.

“It is just about showing your ability when the chance to play comes along.

“Scoring in the cup gave me confidence. I’m finding a flow and want to keep it going.

“It was a big relief to score the first one in the league. It means a bit more to me.

“I want to make my mark on the team, whether that is scoring or assisting.

“If I don’t score or assist I want to make an impact anyhow. Luckily, on Saturday, I got a goal and we won the game, so all good.”

[Source: Press and Journal]