Aidan McGeady and life in Russia
Aidan McGeady will look forward to playing Russia at the Aviva Stadium on Friday in the European Championship qualifiers more than any other Irish player.
The 24-year-old winger has adopted Russia and made it his new home during the summer. McGeady has enjoyed every minute of his time in Moscow after his £9.5 million move to Spartak Moscow and will be looking forward to an encounter with a Russian side that
he will be somewhat familiar with.
The Glasgow-born midfielder was delighted to secure a move to Moscow where he has not been subjected to the media circus that he has had to deal with in Scotland.
The Irish international said, "It is such a big city. It is very cosmopolitan. You can go about your business without having hassle - because everyone in Glasgow is a Celtic or Rangers fan."
The player has admitted that he has now found more freedom on the pitch. "In the SPL, I was pretty much doubled up on and sometimes even more than that because a lot of teams knew the threat I had," said McGeady.
“After a while, that was quite frustrating. I am an unknown in Russia and I am enjoying it. On the Continent, it is a different style of football, which I am trying to get used to. The ball is played on the deck a lot more and I am adjusting to that and
I think it will help me improve my game."
McGeady also believes that the move was the right one. “It has been good so far. I am surprised at how quickly I seem to have adjusted to it. Football wise it has been great. It is just off the pitch there have been some teething problems.”
McGeady scored his first goal for the Russian side against Amkar Perm and has been a threat in the Champions League matches.
"I think there is still more to come from me, but generally I have been happy with the way I have been playing. I went over to Moscow to see the place and Spartak were really looking for an answer quite sharpish and I just weighed up every option and thought
it was too big an opportunity to turn down."
McGeady admitted that it was the right time for a move for all parties. "I felt that, if I stayed another year at Celtic, I would have been looked upon like 'when is he ever going to move from Scotland?' And I thought it really is time to move on. It is
best for everyone. It was best for Celtic, they got a decent transfer fee for me, best for me and I am moving to a better league and playing with players who will help me improve my game.
I was getting to an age where I am 25 next year, we have not won the league in the last two years, there's no Champions League football, although there were the qualifiers and we were out of that pretty quickly.”
McGeady has enjoyed the build up to the game in Russia and said, “There's been a bit of banter, but banter's lost in translation over there a little bit,"
"It is a must-win game for them, but it is a big game for us too," he added.
McGeady is likely to be pitted against his fellow Spartak Moscow team-mate Sergei Parshivlyuk who plays at right-back.
With McGeady most likely to be played on the left the pair will hope to take advantage of their own knowledge of each other.
McGeady will hope that he can help Ireland gain three points and hold the bragging rights when he returns to Moscow.
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