Aiden McGeady left Celtic due to ‘death threats’
Spartak Moscow winger Aiden McGeady has spoken out over the reasons behind his switch to the Russian side from boyhood idols Celtic. The Republic of Ireland international said that the abuse he received in Glasgow, including some death threats, was a major factor in his decision.
The 24-year-old completed his move to the Russian Premier League last week for a fee of around £9.5m and after tying up some personal loose ends in Scotland, will fly out to Moscow tomorrow to begin a new chapter in his career.
McGeady is looking forward to escaping the scrutiny that any Celtic or Rangers player faces and is looking forward to having a “degree of privacy” in Moscow. He told the Daily Record that: "Glasgow really is a goldfish bowl and it's one of the things I'm glad to be getting away from. (Celtic manager) Neil Lennon said to me I might miss the adulation Celtic players get but I'm not so sure. My view is I need a break from it. I've had my experiences of Glasgow and I do need a change.”
Got into fights
The player revealed he had endured verbal threats in the past and had got into several fights while living in Glasgow because of the fact he played with Celtic. He said that: “Some of the verbal abuse I had to take was really out of order. Because I'm a footballer, people think they are entitled to say what they like and get away with it. I'm talking about grown men here. They would shout, 'I hate you' or 'I'm gonna kill you, wee man’.”
McGeady added that his decision to play international football with Ireland instead of Scotland, the country of his birth, meant that he faced further verbal abuse at several other teams’ home stadiums.
Aiden McGeady left Celtic due to ‘death threats’
Spartak Moscow winger Aiden McGeady has spoken out over the reasons behind his switch to the Russian side from boyhood idols Celtic. The Republic of Ireland international said that the abuse he received in Glasgow, including some death threats, was a major factor in his decision.
The 24-year-old completed his move to the Russian Premier League last week for a fee of around £9.5m and after tying up some personal loose ends in Scotland, will fly out to Moscow tomorrow to begin a new chapter in his career.
McGeady is looking forward to escaping the scrutiny that any Celtic or Rangers player faces and likes the thought of having a “degree of privacy” in Moscow. He told the Daily Record that: "Glasgow really is a goldfish bowl and it's one of the things I'm glad to be getting away from. (Celtic manager) Neil Lennon said to me I might miss the adulation Celtic players get but I'm not so sure. My view is I need a break from it. I've had my experiences of Glasgow and I do need a change.”
The player revealed he had endured verbal threats in the past and had got into several fights while living in Glasgow because of the fact he played with Celtic. He said that: “Some of the verbal abuse I had to take was really out of order. Because I'm a footballer, people think they are entitled to say what they like and get away with it. I'm talking about grown men here. They would shout, 'I hate you' or 'I'm gonna kill you, wee man’.”
McGeady added that his decision to play international football with Ireland instead of Scotland, the country of his birth, meant that he faced further verbal abuse at several other teams’ home stadiums.
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