SOCCER:Things on the pitch are fine, but the former Celtic player tells MARY HANNIGANthat life off the pitch takes some getting used to

HAVING LOST Damien Duff to injury once again, Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni would have been more than a little relieved to see Aiden McGeady arrive in Dublin from Moscow yesterday, the winger having played his sixth game for Spartak on Sunday since his move from Celtic during the summer.

So, safe and sound? Well . . .

He smiled as he recalled his experience playing away to Anzhi, a shake of the head hinting that it was memorable enough.

Not the match itself, that was fine, Spartak winning 1-0, but the warm reception that greeted the team and their supporters at the Dagestan club.

“Our bus was stoned on the way out of the ground, it was my first experience of that. The boys were just putting their bags up against the windows to protect themselves, there were things hitting off the bus, stones, whatever they could get their hands on.

“When I was taking a corner during the game I looked up and there was a big riot going on, the police got involved, I don’t know what happened. I just saw the Anzhi supporters running up, tearing up seats and throwing them at the Spartak supporters. It’s intense down in that region, apparently.”

Did it remind you of Old Firm derbies? “No,” he laughed, “it’s a different world out there. This is normal, apparently, the players told me. Well, they told me after we went there, not before.”

Different, but enjoyable, he says. He’s been happy with his progress on the footballing front, Spartak unbeaten since he made his debut, although he admits life off the pitch is proving to be a greater challenge.

“When you step back and think about it, it has been daunting, moving to a new country, everything that comes with that – especially the language barrier.

“I haven’t done lessons yet, but I’ve picked up a few words. The hardest part is their alphabet, it’s all symbols and stuff, very difficult.

“So, yeah, off the field there have been problems, but like at any club there’s someone there to help you find a house and set up a bank account, all that, although it’s done at walking pace.

“Having had no experience of moving clubs before, and obviously not moving countries, I didn’t really know what to expect, but it’s generally been good so far.

“There’ve been funny things to get used to. It’s a tradition in Russia that every morning everyone you pass shakes your hand – I’d just say ‘how you doing?’, so I’ve had to get used to that. It’s been good.

“All the players have been very friendly, a few of them speak English – including the Brazilians and Argentinians – so I find myself latching on to them. But football’s a worldwide game, you don’t need to speak a language to be able to communicate.”

If his move to Russia surprised those who assumed he would join an English Premier League club once he decided to end his Celtic career, he was, he concedes, a bit surprised himself by developments in the summer.

“When I was younger I was thinking that, of course, if I left Scotland it would be for England, but circumstances change.

“Celtic wanted a lot of money for me, which I didn’t think was fair, but they obviously have to look after their own interests.

“The decisive thing for me was getting to play in a more respected league – and I don’t mean any disrespect to SPL. But people just look at it as an inferior league – it’s not the way I look at it, that’s what people in football think like.

“So, this was just too big an opportunity to turn down, playing in a good league, getting the chance to play in the Champions League. Some thought I wouldn’t go, that it would be too much of a change, the different culture and the language barrier, but I’m quite strong-minded, I weighed it up by myself and wasn’t swayed by anyone apart from the people close to me.

“And it’s been really good. The football is a wee bit different, a lot more technique based, there are a lot of good players in the league, so playing with and against them can only help me improve.”

McGeady admits, though, that he hasn’t seen a huge amount of Russian games on television since arriving in the country, so is of limited use to Trapattoni as he does his homework on Friday’s opposition.

“The manager knows a lot more about them than me, but based on my experience so far I’d imagine they’re technically strong and good passers of the ball.

“From what I’ve heard there’s a bit of pressure on their manager going into the game after they lost to Slovakia.”

From the press?

“I don’t know, I can’t read Russian,” he smiled.