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Aiden McGeady

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Aiden McGeady
Personal information
Full name Aiden McGeady
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Celtic
Number 46
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:58, 6 June 2009 (UTC)

Aiden McGeady (born 4 April 1986) is a Scottish-born Irish international footballer who currently plays for Celtic and the Republic of Ireland internationally. McGeady won both the SPFA Players' Player of the Year and SPFA Young Player of the Year awards for the 2007-08 season. His father John McGeady played for Sheffield United[1] and Newport County[2] amongst other clubs. He is renowned for his dribbling and trickery and can play on either wing or up front. McGeady is one of only three current Celts who have been at the club since the 2004-05 season, along with John Kennedy and current captain Stephen McManus.

Club career

After progressing through the Celtic youth and reserve teams, McGeady was handed his debut as an 18-year-old against Hearts at Tynecastle during a Scottish Premier League game late in the 2003-04 season and marked it with a goal after just 17 minutes. He made his UEFA Champions League debut the next season in a game against Italian side AC Milan.

McGeady's 2005-06 season was hampered by a persistent knee injury, but he played a significant role in Celtic's second title winning season under Gordon Strachan, contributing 5 goals and 7 assists. The 2007–08 season was much better for McGeady, earning him praise from the media.[3] One of his most devastating performances came against Aberdeen, scoring a goal and contributing three assists, setting up a second goal for striker Scott McDonald with an outrageous 360 turn and cross. He continued to provide goals for his team, most importantly Scott McDonald's equalising goal against rivals Rangers, a match that Celtic went on to win 3–2. A win which proved to be crucial in Celtic successful defence of their title. Throughout the season, he contributed a total of 8 goals and 19 assists.

He was awarded the SPFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year on 20 April 2008, only the second player ever to receive both awards in the same season (the first was Shaun Maloney in 2006), as voted by his fellow players. He contributed seven league goals and nineteen assists, as Celtic won the championship. It was the third title in a row, which was the first time the club managed to do so since Jock Stein was manager. On 16 December 2008, the then manager Gordon Strachan fined McGeady two weeks' wages and suspended him for the club's next two fixtures due to a breach of club discipline.[4]

On 30 August 2009, McGeady was sent off for simulation following a second yellow card during Celtic's 1–0 win over Hibernian.[5] Celtic manager Tony Mowbray later backed McGeady, claiming a "lack of understanding of the game" by referee Dougie McDonald.[6]

International career

McGeady played for Scotland Schools while at Queen's Park. He played in an under-13 World Cup tournament in Paris.[7] After Queen's Park he joined Celtic, who had a policy of not permitting their youths to play for their school teams (Scotland had a rule which would not permit a player who did not play for their school team to be considered for a call-up to Scotland Schools selects.[8]) The Republic of Ireland, who had no such rule, instructed Packie Bonner, who knew of McGeady's Irish heritage, to invite McGeady to play for the Republic of Ireland Under-15 Schoolboys team. [9][10] McGeady was then named in a Scotland under-16 squad, but the player declined to represent the Scots citing his experience of the Irish set up, despite attempts to persuade him to do so by Scotland head coach Berti Vogts.[11][12] McGeady made his full début for the Republic of Ireland in June 2004 against Jamaica.[13]

Career statistics

As of 6 September 2009
Club Season League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Celtic 2003-04 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
2004-05 27 4 5 0 2 1 3 0 37 5
2005-06 20 4 1 0 2 0 1 0 24 4
2006-07 34 5 4 0 2 0 6 0 46 5
2007-08 36 7 4 0 1 0 10 1 51 8
2008-09 29 3 3 1 4 2 4 1 40 7
2009-10 3 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 7 2
Total 153 26 17 1 11 3 28 2 210 32
Career total 152 26 17 1 11 3 27 2 208 32

Honours

Club

Celtic

Minor

  • Reserve Scottish Premier League (2002, 2003, 2004)
  • Under 19 Scottish Premier League (2003, 2004)
  • Scottish Youth Cup (2003)

Individual

  • Celtic FC Young Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007)
  • Celtic FC Player of the Year (2008)
  • SPFA Players' Player of the Year (2008)
  • SPFA Young Player of the Year (2008)
  • BBC Sportsound Player of the Year (2008)
  • Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Year (2008)
  • Scottish Premier League Player of the Month (5)
  • Scottish Premier League Young Player of the Month (6)
  • Eircom Republic of Ireland Young Player of the Year (2009)

References

  1. ^ SHEFFIELD UNITED : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
  2. ^ NEWPORT COUNTY : 1946/47 - 1987/88, Newcastle Fans.
  3. ^ Chick Young's View BBC Sport (11 February 2008)
  4. ^ McGeady handed Celtic suspension
  5. ^ Hibernian 0-1 Celtic
  6. ^ Mowbray fumes at McGeady red card
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ Bhoy who would be king The Times, 4 April 2004.
  9. ^ [2]
  10. ^ Aiden McGeady on Celtic and Ireland
  11. ^ Who's to blame in sorry tale of the one that got away?
  12. ^ [3]
  13. ^ Aiden McGeady
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