Looking at the last couple of generations of Irish players, it's fair to say that few of them had a more interesting career than Aiden McGeady. The winger would spend times at the likes of Celtic, Spartak Moscow, and Everton, before then finding himself in a financial standoff with Sunderland. He would remain at the club despite their best efforts to get his high wages off their books after relegation, eventually playing his way back into team and putting in some massive performances in League One. Now 38-years old, McGeady is still playing at a professional level. He has been at Scottish Championship club Ayr United since 2023, where he is also dipping his toe into the world of football administration as a technical director.
Aiden McGeady has no shortage of interesting stories from his career, many of which came during his time in Russia. He spent three-and-a-half years in Moscow, with Unai Emery being his manager for a short period at the club. While the Spaniard would be sacked after just six months in charge of Spartak Moscow, it seemed as though he held some sort of grudge against the Irishman after his exit.
A Strange Text Message
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, McGeady recalled receiving a random abusive text from Emery, up to a couple of years after the manager left the Russian club. "When I left Russia, we had pre-season in Spain and he had been back to Sevilla. I got a random text message off him saying 'fk you' with exclamation marks. I've like showed the Argentinian centre half, saying 'fg Emery's just text me saying fk you'. He was like 'what the fk is all that about, is he raging with you?' I went no, but I don't know. I just wrote back to him 'fk you', then he wrote back again 'f*k you'. And then that was it done! I was like 'can you explain this to me?' He was like 'no'. It was bizarre man. A strange one."
A Difficult Relationship
Unai Emery was not well liked during his time at Spartak Moscow and seemed to have a difficult relationship with Aiden McGeady. Russian striker Artem Dzyuba recalled last year how the Irishman once walked off the training pitch in the middle of a particularly boring session, something that did not go down well with the Spaniard. Judging by this story, he might have held a grudge over that incident.
A Bizarre Incident
It's hard to say for sure what prompted Emery's outburst, but it's clear that he wasn't a fan of McGeady. Perhaps he was still upset about the Irishman's decision to leave Spartak Moscow, or maybe he was just having a bad day. Whatever the reason, it's a reminder that even the most successful managers can sometimes lose their cool. This incident adds another layer to the already complex relationship between the two men. It's also a reminder that even in the modern age of technology, communication can still be fraught with misunderstandings. Perhaps the best way to avoid such awkward situations is to simply avoid texting ex-managers.
McGeady's story is a reminder that the world of professional football can be a strange and unpredictable place. The Irish winger has certainly seen his fair share of ups and downs during his long and distinguished career. This incident with Emery is just one of the many quirks that have made his journey so intriguing. And while it's unlikely that he'll ever forget the bizarre text message, it's probably safe to say that he's moved on and is focused on the next chapter of his footballing journey. And who knows, perhaps one day we'll hear another story about a strange encounter between him and a former manager or teammate. After all, that's what makes football so captivating. It's a sport that's full of surprises. And Aiden McGeady is a player who seems to attract more than his fair share of them.
