Friday 20 May 2016 22:27, UK
John Hughes has left his position as Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager with immediate effect.
Hughes leaves the Scottish Premiership side just 12 months after leading them to the Scottish Cup - the first major trophy in their 22-year history.
The 51-year-old, who was under contract at Caley until 2018, told the club's official website: "I will look back on my time at ICTFC and in the Highlands with a genuine fondness and warm affection for the club, the area and the community.
"The welcome I received from the fans and the response I got from the players throughout my two and a half years there will live long in the memory, as will everything else we shared in some of the ground-breaking successes we all enjoyed together during that period.
"I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute of my time at the club and I would like to sincerely thank the Inverness directors for affording me the privilege of managing what is, a fine football club.
"My gratitude goes out to every member of staff who also offered me so much personal support in my time there.
"I can readily assure my successor that they will inherit an excellent group of players and to each and every one of them, could I also say a huge thanks for making my time with them so successful and so memorable - I wish them and the club every success in the future."
Hughes was appointed as Inverness manager in December 2013 and made an immediate impact, steering the club to the Scottish League Cup final - their first major domestic final.
They would lose in the final to Aberdeen, but would recover from that disappointment to finish fifth in the Scottish Premiership.
The following campaign proved even more successful, with Hughes leading Inverness to third place and Scottish Cup glory.
After leading Inverness to the Europa League qualifiers for the first time at the start of the 2015/16 season, Hughes guided Inverness to a seventh-place finish.
A statement from the Inverness board of directors read: "All of us at ICTFC would like to take this opportunity to thank John for his contribution since joining us in December 2013 and specifically his coaching skills and commitment, which helped deliver our successes, and in particular lifting the Scottish Cup for the first time in the club's history as well as our first foray into European Club Football.
"John will be remembered here at ICTFC as a member of a great winning team and we wish him every success going forward."
