Aiden McGeady

A very interesting wee project going on at Hibs over the summer

 

Hibernian FC are delighted to announce the signing of talented midfielder Aiden McGeady.



The 36-year-old has penned a one-year deal keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2023.

Capped 93 times for the Republic of Ireland, the winger brings with him a wealth of experience to Easter Road.

Having started his career in Scotland with Celtic, McGeady made his name with the Hoops, playing over 200 games for the Glasgow side across seven seasons.

McGeady enjoyed a stint with Spartak Moscow before moving to Everton to play in the Premier League. After playing in the Champions League and England’s top flight, McGeady spent several years in the English Championship and EFL with Sheffield Wednesday, Preston North End, Charlton Athletic and Sunderland.

During his time in the North East of England with the Black Cats, he first played under new Hibs manager, Lee Johnson.

In their first season working together, McGeady excelled and was named in the 2020/21 EFL League One Team of the Season after contributing six goals and 17 assists from out wide.

Speaking to hibernianfc.co.uk, Lee Johnson is excited to be reunited with his former player. He said: “We are delighted to bring Aiden to Hibernian FC.

"He will bring skill, experience and gravitas to our team. Aiden is a top player, has had a fantastic career to date and we aim to extend and accentuate his abilities within the blend of our new-look squad.

“We will also look to utilise Aiden’s fantastic leadership qualities to help guide and get the best out of our young forward players.”

McGeady is the Club’s seventh First Team signing of the summer transfer window with David Marshall, Nohan Kenneh, Rocky Bushiri, Lewis Miller, Momodou Bojang and Jair Tavares all putting pen-to-paper ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.




Hibernian FC Head of Recruitment, Ian Gordon added: “Aiden will bring an excellent blend of experience and top-class quality to our side.

"He has played at the very top level during his career and will help raise our standards going forward.”

 

Mad that he's 36. Should've had a much better career than he did with all his natural talent imo

 

It's mad how he looks like a well chewed wrigleys stick.

 

He'll still score goals and assist in our league. Zero doubts..

A good signing for them likes of him and Marshall to add to their young squad..

 

Thought he'd have just retired.

 

will put in potentially match winning performances against the huns

 

dat pen doe

 

Aiden mcgeady in his prime was one * of a player and under rated by many - Any ex-Celtic players who seen him day in day out in training will tell you that he was so gifted it was scary and a defenders nightmare; even though he was past his best when he signed for Sunderland the players there will tell you he was easily the best footballer there and again there are interviews with Sunderland players were they have said they were in awe of his talent

I remember at the start of the season (Gordon Strachan era) for about 3 or 4 months he was totally unplayable; many levels above any other player in Scotland; he was going past opposition players at high speed with ease - Unfortunately he suffered an injury which disrupted that but it was elite level play; no disrespect to Spartak moscow but he could have played at a far higher level - when 100% fit and on form one * of a player

Will be worth putting a few quid on him scoring against sevco next season; he will be totally up for it against them even though he's 36 I can see him finding that little bit of extra energy for that particular game; He has spoken out against the anti-Irish bigotry in Scotland; im sure he would find nothing sweeter than to put a big dent in their title hopes

 

Look forward to seeing how he gets on at Hibs
...he and David Marshall are very clever signings for them

 

oot injured already and the season's no even started. Thats typical Hibs that.

 

Oooft.

 

McGeady's return to Scottish football began in earnest yesterday evening when he came on as a late sub for Hibs at the Sevco Superarena.

I never saw the game but it sounds like he was lovely, beating his man with ease a couple times. I loved McGeady at Celtic so defo going to keep a close eye on his time at Hibs. Best of luck to the guy

 

Been a bit of a nightmare for him and Hibs


probably best calling it a day now

 

Shame.

 

Aiden McGeady is one of the most talented Scottish footballing exports of a generation but destined never to be regarded as such. His decision to represent the Republic of Ireland had the strange knock-on effect of deleting his name from conversation regarding the finest products of youth systems – in this case Celtic’s – in his homeland.

It could have been a case of enjoying McGeady while he lasted. Now 37 and after a spell at Hibernian was curtailed by injury, he finds himself at a career crossroads. McGeady has the appetite to keep playing but understands his options may be limited. “I know how it looks,” he says. “At my age it’s a hard sell for a manager. ‘Let’s go and sign a 37-year-old who hasn’t really played for a year.’ I’m totally fit now, I was training right up until expiry of my contract at Hibs on 30 June.

“I know a lot of people who think they retired too early. I still enjoy it. I still enjoy competing and going into training every day. I love playing and the key thing is that I know I still can. I went to Hibs thinking: ‘I probably shouldn’t be playing at the top level in Scotland,’ but I knew last season when I was fit and training, I could still do what I wanted to do. I’m not as quick as I used to be over 40-50 yards but I can still get beyond people to get a cross or shot away. I’m proud of still being able to play.” Footballers need more support with addiction and mental health, PFA told




McGeady has always been known for dazzling wing play and forthright opinion. The latter element, emphasised by the fact McGeady is articulate and smart, triggered speculation he could be a tough player to handle. “I understand when you become a manager that you have to exert authority,” he says. “But I have seen managers doing so many things that annoy players. Why would you want to annoy players? You should get them on side. When I was young I was quite quiet but as I got older, I’d be more vocal in meetings. I think I’m perfectly easy to manage, if things are done properly.”

McGeady famously and routinely clashed with Gordon Strachan, before a £9.5m move from Celtic to Spartak Moscow which in 2010 made the winger the Scottish top flight’s most expensive sale. They have met only once since; McGeady accepted Strachan’s handshake in a corridor after the player returned to watch an Old Firm game. “You mature, don’t you?” McGeady says. “Maybe he was pushing me that hard because he saw something in me. I just felt the expectations and criteria for me were different. To keep my place I always had to perform.”

McGeady broke the mould for Scots abroad by succeeding during a four-year stay in Russia. A 2014 switch to Everton – Roberto Martínez had pursued McGeady for a considerable time – appeared perfect for all concerned but he was never more than a peripheral figure at Goodison Park.



“I went there in the January and was supposed to get acclimatised for a few months, we finished fifth in the league,” McGeady recalls. “I had a really good pre-season and scored against Leicester in the first game of the season. Then, in what was a microcosm of my time at Everton, I was on the bench the following week because we were changing tactics to play Arsenal.

“I started the next game and set up a goal, then I was back on the bench. That was really the way it went until eventually I wasn’t even in the squad.” A return to Celtic, then managed by Ronny Deila, was mooted. “I still had this itch, I thought I could get back in at Everton. After that, the Celtic window probably closed



Loans at Sheffield Wednesday and Preston preceded “five great years” despite turbulent times at Sunderland. “Managers being sacked, staff changing, owners changing,” McGeady says. “I was settled, I had the chance to leave a few times but I liked the club, liked the people. It is a massive club that should be in the Premier League. Things are changing there now but it isn’t a quick fix, they are bringing through young players with asset value. That’s kind of when I realised my time was up there.”

McGeady earned 93 caps for Ireland, the last of which came in a heavy World Cup playoff defeat to Denmark in late 2017. He believes Martin O’Neill was under-appreciated as the Ireland manager, as was Giovanni Trapattoni. “His attention to detail was incredible,” says McGeady. “Martin might feel disrespected by people saying he is an old-school manager but he is compared to nowadays. Man management is what he does best.

“It has hugely changed in 20 years. The dressing room I came through at Celtic was a tough school which doesn’t exist anymore. You’d get pulled up in front of HR if a lot of that stuff happened now.”

So what next? McGeady is working towards his Uefa A Licence and is writing a dissertation to complete his MSc in sports directorship. He has been impressive during media appearances. He adds: “I like coaching and I think I would be selfish not to pass on my experience to others but I’m also interested in other parts of the game: recruitment, organising a club, managing people. I should have looked at these things a lot earlier in my career but I have played on for so long.” He may not be finished quite yet.