FOR some football clubs respect comes easily and there are others who have to work to earn it from their contemporaries.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle, according to their long-standing goalkeeper Ryan Esson, are only now starting to receive what Aretha Franklin sang about all those years ago. The platitudes are long overdue.

In the space of 20 years, this club has become part of the fibre of Scottish football, an established top-tier side, the one team who always give Celtic a hard time and are now heading for their first trophy and European football.

If the Highland outfit can't win any praise now then they never will.

Esson said: "It's one of these things. You've sometimes got to earn your respect. A lot of people looked at the league table, thought we weren't there on merit and expected us to blow up.

'We've got to do what we've been doing - continually get to the top six, the later stages of cup competitions, earn the respect and plaudits.

"I think now people are justified talking about Caley Thistle as a team who have a right to be where we are, in among teams like Aberdeen and Dundee United. We're getting the respect we deserve.

"And, of course, the one way to answer all the doubts is to win the Scottish Cup - and get into Europe.

'We've still got massive ambitions at this club. We've got a European place to secure, we want to finish third, so we'll keep working. It's only a semi-final we've won. We're not going to disrespect Falkirk in any way, because they're a good side."

Esson, now 35, began his career with Aberdeen before trying to cut it down south, a move that did not go to plan.

He signed for Inverness in 2008, where he is now also a coach, so his bond with the club is pretty strong. It's one that would be cemented further if he can get his hands on a certain trophy at the end of May.

Esson said: "If you had asked me where my career was going when I joined Caley, I would never have thought we would be getting to a final last year and another final this year. One would have been stretching the imagination. So it's the kind of thing you dream of, rather than expect.

"I feel the club is in my heart, I'm a player-coach - and we're all moving the club forward.

"I don't think we're trying to rewrite anything about what smaller clubs can do. We're just trying to write our own bit of history.

"And I promise you this, you've not seen the best of Caley Thistle. You've not seen all we have to offer. If we get into the right circumstances, at the right sort of venue, this team is capable of anything."