Busy Christmas for McGeady

Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady readily accepts the restrictions footballers have during the festive season as the rest of the country goes into holiday mode.

Like most Scottish clubs, the Hoops have a busy Christmas period, taking on Falkirk at Celtic Park on Saturday followed by another home match against Dundee United on Boxing Day.

Gordon Strachan's side travel to Motherwell on December 30 before following that up with a home game against Kilmarnock on January 2.

The Republic of Ireland international told the Celtic View: "It's the same every year, there are always games over Christmas and New Year.

"It seems that when everybody is out celebrating and having a drink we're training and we'll probably be in on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"But it's something that I think that every player accepts.

"That's the life of a footballer and it's worse down in England, where I think they have about nine games in the space of three weeks.

"We'll be looking to take maximum points from all four league games and that is the way we will approach all our league games."

Falkirk travel to Celtic Park on Saturday knowing they knocked the champions out of the CIS Insurance Cup after a penalty shoot-out in November following an entertaining 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.

McGeady scored when Celtic won 1-0 at Falkirk earlier in the season in the Bank of Scotland Premier League.

McGeady is expecting another tough tussle in their third meeting of the season.

"We know they are going to come to Celtic Park and try and play some good football," he said.

"They did that in the cup game and I think that in fairness, they deserved to win that game.

"John Hughes has instilled in them a desire to play good football right through the levels.

"I've played against their reserve team and they have the same mentality.

"That there are two teams who play that way can only be good for the Scottish game and it's enjoyable for the supporters.

"And we know that we will have to play well to beat them."