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McGeady timing his form as excitement builds
It’s one of the hoariest of football clichés: the lad is flying in training.
By Liam Mackey, Budapest
And it usually means that the self-same lad will have the proverbial ‘mare’ in his next big game, possibly topping it all off with an own goal or a red card. But, ahead of tonight’s friendly in Budapest, it would be hard to overstate the level of performance Aiden McGeady has been putting in these past couple of weeks, and not only on the training pitch.
The winger was ‘man of the match’ against Bosnia in the team’s farewell friendly in Dublin, not a bad achievement considering he only came on for the second half and had already had it put up to him by James McClean’s eye-catching first 45.
But then, you suspect that the two things aren’t entirely unrelated: McGeady hitting peak for just as McClean has emerged to snap at his heels. Certainly, the Glasgow flyer already looks to be in tournament mode.
“Yeah, I’ve sort of felt that way since we’ve been in Portmarnock,” he says. “The training has had a really good tempo and a high intensity, as you’ve probably seen this week. I was delighted coming on after 45 minutes against Bosnia, having a good impact in the game and creating chances. It’s always what you want to do. I couldn’t be more pleased.
“It was a long week in Italy, and a long few days in Portmarnock as well because you’ve still got an extra month to go, pretty much. But we’re getting closer and closer now, and the excitement is building,” he enthused.
It probably helps too that the collective focus is resolutely forward-looking now.
“After the Hungary game, I think preparations will start in terms of watching more games and more videos and more analysis,” says McGeady.
“Just now, it’s training, training, training, and one day at a time, because there’s still a long way to go.”
The dramatic changes of scene — from Portmarnock to Tuscany and now onto Budapest — have all helped keep spirits high in the camp, he suggests.
Says McGeady: “If we were staying the whole time in Dublin, it would be a little more difficult. And with the manager giving us the odd day off as well, it’s not been as bad as I thought it would be, or as boring. That’s what you hear about when you’re away at major finals.”
It helps too that McGeady gets on well with his room-mate..
“Darren O’Dea, I always room with Darren,” he smiles. “We’ve a very comfortable relationship — although the other day at training, we were moaning at each other. That’s how it goes when you know each other a long time. He was one of my best mates at Celtic, and we always roomed together there too. There’s nothing worse than getting put in a room with someone you don’t really know that well. There are awkward silences with Darren sometimes if we have a little row, but nothing too bad!”