Aiden McGeady on ‘brilliant’ Simon Grayson and ‘close’ Preston North End dressing room
The popular loan man on those he was closest to at Deepdale.
Aiden McGeady has praised former Preston North End boss Simon Grayson and recalled the close-knit dressing room during his spell at the club.
The former winger, who retired from football in 2024 aged 38, was on loan at PNE from Everton during the 2016/17 season, scoring eight goals and registering nine assists across 35 games.
In an interview with the Lancashire Post, McGeady spoke about his relationship with Grayson, who also signed him at Sunderland the following season. Although Grayson was sacked by the Black Cats in October 2017, McGeady remained at Sunderland for five years and regards him as one of the best managers he played under.
He recalls his PNE debut against Barnsley, in which he scored, and how Grayson allowed him to play his natural game.
“Obviously, the Sunderland tenure didn't go amazingly well,” said McGeady, “but when I was at Preston for him, he gave me the licence to just go and operate how I wanted.
“I remember the day I signed, he was like, ‘look, it's my job to get you back to the way you were playing three, four years ago and I'll do everything I can’.
“I think I remember that Barnsley game. I think we played a 3-4-3, but I was left of an [attacking] three.
“We hadn't really played that formation. 3-4-3 was just starting to come in quite a lot, and he said ‘I'm not really too bothered about you looking back’, which was absolute music to my ears.
“When you're a creative player, you don't want to be spending loads of energy going back on the pitch, and then as time went on during that season, he was like ‘I don't care if you're playing on the left or the right and you wander across, just go and get on the ball.’
“So I was playing on the left in a formation, but when we had the ball, I could go wherever I wanted, so you probably see me a lot at Preston when I was kind of playing in the middle, getting the ball in the middle or getting the ball out on the right, and I didn't really have a position as such.
“He was brilliant for me at Preston and a really nice guy as well. The lads all really liked him and his coaching staff, Snods [Glynn Snodin, assistant] as well.”
McGeady also spoke about the closeness of that squad, and says he keeps in touch with a number of his former teammates.
“I still speak to Ben Pringle quite a lot. I’m really good mates with him, and I still speak to some of the other boys, more so on Instagram and stuff.
“We were a really close group. So it was probably myself, Ben Pringle, Greg Cunningham, Alan Browne, Callum Robinson and Daniel Johnson as well.
“Mainly the ones that liked a night out, to be honest with you! It wasn't a massive squad, I just felt like everybody in the dressing room was quite close and a really good group. The banter was really good as well. I really enjoyed it.
“I wish I could have stayed. Obviously, in hindsight, I love my time in Sunderland. But after that season, I was buzzing to stay.”
For more on why McGeady moved to Sunderland rather than PNE in summer 2017, click here. The Irishman also reflects on two memorable goals against Barnsley and on derby day away to Blackburn here.
McGeady was speaking on behalf of Newbettingsites.uk.