Aiden McGeady was born on 4 April 1986 in Rutherglen, in the close vicinity of Glasgow, living a major part of his early life in the Greater Glasgow Conurbation. As the son of John McGeady, a fellow footballer born of Irish parents, he was close to the sport for his entire life.
After spending his boyhood career with Busby Boys and Queen’s Park, he eventually joined Celtic’s junior program in 2004, where he graduated into professional football in 2004. He made his debut at age 18, an opportunity granted by Martin O’Neill, who was also his national team manager between 2013 and 2017.
Aiden played for and excelled at Celtic until 2010, racking up four Scottish Premier League titles (the name of the competition back then), in addition to two Scottish Cups and a League Cup. He scored tens of goals for the Bhoys, which increased his profile.
This is what led Spartak Moscow, a club among Russia’s football elite, to pay £9.5 million for his services, a record for a player coming from Scottish football. He spent four years with them, moving to Everton in 2014. After stints with Sheffield Wednesday and Preston on loan, he made a full move to Sunderland, where he spent almost five years.
Near the end of his career, he moved back to Scotland, appearing sporadically for Hibernian and Ayr United before hanging up his playing boots in 2024.
As an international, Aiden McGeady represented the Republic of Ireland, the country of his grandparents, earning 93 caps and scoring 5 goals. During his time as an Irish international, he played at both Euro 2012 and 2016.
In his post-playing career, McGeady joined Wigan Athletic’s scouting and recruitment program, also being a candidate coach hoping to obtain a pro license. Quite importantly, he also took part in punditry activity, and he is a very appreciated BetBrain contributor.
