Last week on TV, I watched Aiden McGeady play for Eire against Brazil. I thought he looked by far Ireland’s most elegant player and he wouldn’t have looked out of place in the opposition line-up. I’ve also been very impressed by his contribution in the Champion’s League for Celtic against the likes of AC Milan.
Chic Young, praises McGeady to the heavens in his BBC column this week. For once, I’d have to agree that his hyperbole may be justified. Young appears to partly blame Celtic for McGeady's "defection" but I feel somewhere along the line the SFA have to shoulder some responsibility. I’ve mentioned McGeady before on this blog along with Hamiliton youngster, James McCarthy.Do these players really prefer to play for another country other than the one they were born and bred in or are there other factors at work? It has been suggested to me that sectarianism might be behind it all. I don’t know about that but I do wonder if every effort was made to persuade these players their future lay with Scotland. In some quarters the claim will be dismissed as paranoia. But whatever the case, it’s very frustrating when a small country like Scotland's best talents commit their international future to the Republic of Ireland.
