Aiden McGeady has had a very interesting career.
After coming through the ranks at Celtic, he made the unorthodox move to Russia, followed by a lengthy spell in English football with Everton, Sunderland, and Preston North End. Of course, the last few seasons of his stint south of the border were spent largely outside of the top flight.
His career at Sunderland was controversial at times, joining the club on a long-term deal when they were still in the Premier League. He remained on their books in the years that followed back-to-back relegations, even as their supporters wanted them to slash their wage bill.
In the end, he made the most of a difficult situation. McGeady put in some top performances during his time in League One and helped them in their quest to get back to the Championship.
He would leave the Stadium of Light during the summer, returning to Scottish football with Hibernian. However, an ankle injury would mean that he would have to wait until December to make his debut.
Aiden McGeady opens up on injury issues at Hibernian
Aiden McGeady would make his Hibernian bow in the 3-2 loss to Rangers last month, then featuring in losses to Celtic and Hearts. He made his first start for the club at the weekend, providing an assist in a 3-2 victory over Motherwell.
Speaking after that one, he admitted that he had contemplated retirement in recent times as he attempted to get back to full fitness. Having now gotten over his issues, he is hoping to prove to Hibs fans that he is not treating the club as one final payday.
I've not played for so long that I feel I owe the club and the fans something. I feel people might think I’ve just up come here for the last couple of years of my career.
That’s not the case at all. I still love playing football and I still feel I have something to offer.
The injury really set me back a lot, because it was a recurrence of the same one from last season.
There’s nothing worse than being injured. The last four or five months have been some of the worst of my career.
I actually contemplated just packing it in completely. I thought, 'I’m never going to get over this’.
But it’s all worth it when you have days like Sunday, when you are out there enjoying playing football again and showing you can make a difference...
It was just about getting over the pain in my knee. We took it really cautiously this time.
At Sunderland, I rushed back and had two or three setbacks so I was more cautious this time. There must have been people thinking, ‘he’s up here for a jolly, or to top up his pension’, whatever they want to say.
I absolutely wasn’t. I still love playing football and I want to do well for this club.
Now 36-years old, Aiden McGeady is entering the final days of his career.
He will be hoping that he can still make some important contributions on the pitch as long as it continues.
SEE ALSO: Where Are They Now: The Ireland Team From Giovanni Trapattoni's Final Game
