Perhaps unique among modern professional players in having regularly represented his current club's first team throughout a third of its existence Ryan Esson is in no doubt about what has been achieved during his time in Inverness.

Recruited as it was undergoing an awkward adolescence by Craig Brewster - the first and to date only manager the club has ever sacked - he is now set to enjoy a summer that will see it celebrate its coming of age in glorious fashion with August marking the 21st anniversary of its formation.

Qualification for a first Scottish Cup final appearance has now been followed by a first ever top three finish in the country's top flight as a result of a club record points haul in that division, bringing with it the prize of a first taste of European competition.

"It's an unbelievable achievement," said the 35-year-old goal-keeper, who has additional insight into how it has been brought about as a member of the coaching staff, but has recently led by example in the injury enforced absence of Dean Brill.

"Inverness have made a lot of progress over the last few years and at the start of the season we believed we could qualify for Europe. We kept it all in-house and there was a wee sticky spell there, but we've come through it and fair play to the boys because they have put in a shift week in, week out and the credit goes to them."

With Hamilton Accies and Dundee United catching the eye during the first half of the season, while Aberdeen sustained a challenge to Celtic longest, Inverness have gone quietly about the business of bringing this about, geography doubtless playing its part in that.

Steadily the understanding has grown that on their day they are - as they proved against Celtic in the course of league and cup meetings on successive weekends last month - a match for any in Scotland and were consequently capable of earning the right to test themselves further afield.

"I think we knew we were a top six team but we just wondered how far we could go in the top six," said Esson.

"It's all about belief sometimes. You look around you and play other teams and you say to yourself that you're every bit as good as them so why not aim for Europe?

"When we got into the top six we just said to ourselves that we weren't moving. We've always been up there really. We were up there that long that we realised we could easily make Europe and now we've achieved it."

They can now enhance that in two ways later this month, by claiming a first major honour which will, in turn mean they enter Europa Cup qualifying further down the line.

"It's writing history. The boys have wanted to do that. Some of us were in the League Cup final last season and we want to go one better in the Scottish Cup final as well," said Esson.

Thereafter, since he will doubtless play a major part in Brill's rehab, Esson may have a role in preventing himself from getting the chance to improve on his only memory of playing in Europe when he was part of the Aberdeen team that suffered a humbling first round exit to Irish side Bohemians 15 years ago.

"Don't remind me... we got beat 2-1 at Pittodrie and got put out on away goals," he said, jokingly putting his head in his hands.

He knows expectations will be very different for newcomers to Continental competition as opposed to a club that has won two pieces of European silverware and registered amusement that a West Ham supporting friend has already excitedly raised the prospect of a meeting between the two, saying simply: "We'll enjoy the moment and take the draw when it comes."

If he is to be involved Esson will doubtless continue to provide a safe pair of hands as he demonstrated in producing a succession of high quality saves at Dens Park on Saturday to ensure that Edward Ofere's ninth minute goal was sufficient to bring about the required victory.

Over the piece Inverness also benefited from facing a team that has, since securing a considerable achievement of its own by getting into the top six, pretty much forgotten how to win and even how to score goals.

John Hughes, the visiting manager, rightly acknowledged his side had been fortunate to pick up full points after their lively opponents had failed to hit the target for what would only have been the second time in a sequence of five successive defeats.

Dundee may lift themselves for the resumption of old rivalries against Aberdeen and, most particularly, their Tannadice Street neighbours in their remaining matches, but either way this disappointing finish to the campaign will be addressed over the coming weeks with their boss, Paul Hartley, promising to freshen up his squad.