Aiden McGeady issued an almost ‘come and get me’ plea the other day, as reported by The Celtic Star. In response, the vast majority of the Celtic faithful opposed the idea quite vigorously, and whilst I share that view, I can’t understand the negativity from some fans towards him.
Aiden never really fulfilled his potential away from Celtic Park, though he did play in a strong Spartak Moscow side that reached the Champions League Quarter Final. However, his later career at the likes of Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland shouldn’t overshadow the phenomenal time he enjoyed at Paradise.
McGeady was a skillful player on the wing, who played for the club in the last 16 of the Champions League twice. He scored big goals against the likes of Benfica and Villarreal, as well as those against Rangers, including in a League Cup final.
It’s also worth noting that McGeady had an incredible season 2007/08. In that year he won the Fan’s Player of the Year, Celtic Player of the Year, SPFA Players’ Player of the Year, SPFA Young Player of the Year and BBC Sportsound Player of the Year. He also won the Celtic Player of the Year award in 2010.
So yes, McGeady is past his best now. He didn’t achieve as much as he probably should have elsewhere, but he was a decent Celtic player and that shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, he was Celtic’s record sale in 2010 when he joined Spartak for a fee in the region of £9.5-11m. There must have been a reason for that!
