Aiden McGeady has questioned why he received more abuse than others who were born in Scotland but also chose to represent other countries. The former Celtic winger won 92 caps for Ireland.
On BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme, Kenny Macintyre asked McGeady if received "a lot of flak" for choosing to play for Ireland.
"Did I receive a lot of flak for that? Come on, man!" McGeady responded.
"What, going to every away ground in Scotland and getting booed every time you touched the ball? Did that not happen? It did, didn't it.
"There are plenty of Scottish players that have played for other teams. Does Scott Arfield not play for Canada? Brian McLean, he chose Northern Ireland. Did they get the same abuse as me? No. Why did I get that abuse?
"I made the decision when I was 14. It's not like I made the decision when I was 18. Scotland had those rules where if you didn't play for your school team, you didn't play for the schoolboys, which was fine. Ireland didn't have that. Packie Bonner knew my dad, and my grandparents. He asked if I wanted to play for Ireland from like U14, U15. Then I just played for Ireland. That was it.
"I knew the boys. I liked the set-up. When I got in the [Celtic] first team it was like, 'How is this guy not playing for Scotland?' It's not like I'd just chosen Ireland."
🗣️ 'The other players that I mentioned, why did they not get the same abuse that I got?' 🤔
📻 @kennymacsport catches up with Aiden McGeady. Listen to the full interview in the Scottish Football Podcast ⤵️
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) May 22, 2022
McGeady continued: "It's small-minded individuals, isn't it? That's all it is. The other players I mentioned, why did they not get the same abuse that I got? Any idea? Because I played for Celtic? Because I played for Ireland?
"Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell, Falkirk - everywhere, booed everywhere I went. They wanted me to fail. Didn't happen to anybody else, did it? James McCarthy got the same.
"Plenty of other players have switched allegiances to countries, but they've not all got that. In a way, it's a compliment because if they didn't think you were a good player, they wouldn't be bothering.
"I used to get it everywhere I went really. Traitor, turncoat, Judas, not from everybody, but from proper Scotland fans, which there aren't that many of in Glasgow. It's mainly Ireland or England, isn't it?"
Pictures: Sportsfile
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