McGeady's new Celtic role proves a breath of fresh air

THE CREW at St Michael’s FC were clearly enjoying having the Irish team around for another day’s training yesterday and they certainly have just cause to be proud of Cooke Park, the sort of facility most junior outfits can only dream about.

The Tipperary Town club, of course, has some friends in high places, not least FAI chief executive John Delaney who played here as a schoolboy and is one of two honorary life presidents (his father, Joe, being the other).

Just a few weeks ago, though, the organisers of Real Madrid’s visit to Ireland talked about the need these days to have a top team’s hotel and training ground within walking distance of each other. This is scarcely the case here so it may be a relief to all concerned that the retirement of and subsequent move into management by the least laid-back of this Republic of Ireland squad’s recent stars means he is not around to critically assess the arrangements.

Not always the cheeriest of characters, Aiden McGeady didn’t sound wildly taken with the set-up yesterday himself when asked for an opinion on playing outside of Dublin by a journalist who appeared to be seeking a more enthusiastic answer. “Well, it’s quite difficult to get here,” gushed the Ireland winger who explained; “I missed my flight in the morning, had to fly into Galway and then had a two-hour drive here. But it’s fine, a bit of a change.”

Change, as it happens, is very much in the air for McGeady who has a new manager as well as a somewhat altered role at Celtic. “He (Tony Mowbray) has sort of been a breath of fresh air for the coaching staff, it’s obviously a different set-up now,” says the man who famously had the odd run-in with former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan. “Things have been going well so far, playing good football and getting results as well.

“And yeah, it’s different for me. I have been sort of used to being a winger on the touchline. Now, since the new manager has come in, he has told me to come inside more and asked me to play in the middle. That suits me as I have always wanted to do that. I’ve played there in training and I was up for the challenge whenever it came. Obviously the manager is showing good faith in me now.”

Anything Mowbray does will go down well if the team continues to produce results like the one in the Champions League tie in Moscow last week but McGeady acknowledges Arsenal are likely to represent a significant step up again in the next round. “It’s a massive game for us and we know that we will be underdogs. I’m looking forward to it, though. I can imagine what it’s like to play against them. They like to keep the ball. It will be a massive, massive game but one that we have a chance in.”

Though McGeady seems likely to reclaim his Irish place from Stephen Hunt for tomorrow night’s friendly, his role at international level is likely to be very much as it was. But the 23-year-old says he is more than happy to continue operating out wide and providing some defensive cover in a team he feels has other creative influences and has one foot in the World Cup finals.

“My role is definitely laid down by the manager,” he says. “It’s totally different to what I do at Celtic. But the main thing is just to be playing and winning. I’m looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers and qualifying for the World Cup.

“Well, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself. At the moment the main thing is to pick up as many points as possible and finish in second place – or first.”