Aiden McGeady finalised his return to Scottish football with Hibs and said he was back to challenge Celtic and Rangers for silverware. The former Hoops winger has signed a one-year contract and becomes Lee Johnson’s eighth summer recruit as the new boss puts his stamp on the Easter Road squad.
Free agent McGeady, 36, passed a medical on Friday before penning a deal to reunite with his former Sunderland boss Johnson. And he reckons Hibs is the perfect fit - not least because the former Ireland and Hoops hero is back wearing green and white.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here. As soon as I spoke to Lee Johnson it was an absolute no-brainer for me. I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to come back to Scotland. Especially after Sunderland, to be honest I don’t think there could have been a better fit. It has always been a club that I have had slight affiliation towards, I don’t know why.
“Maybe because they play in green and white, maybe because Hibernian is the old Roman name for Ireland – there has always been something about Hibs that I have liked. As soon as the manager made contact with me, I was like: 'brilliant, let’s get this done’.
“Last season was a difficult season for the club, but the aim for this season needs to be to finish as high as possible in the league. We need to improve on last season that is for sure, but I want to win things, I am here to win trophies and push the Old Firm all the way.”
Johnson hopes McGeady can produce the magic to unlock defences and get supporters off their seats as he bids to get the club back in about the European spots.
The Hibs boss said: “Aiden will bring skill, experience and gravitas to our team. He is a top player, has had a fantastic career to date and we aim to extend and accentuate his abilities within the blend of our new-look squad.
“We will also look to utilise Aiden’s fantastic leadership qualities to help guide and get the best out of our young forward players.”
