Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic may share envy - it involves Celtic FC and Sunderland | OneFootball

Aiden McGeady had a long and illustrious career in football; however, his time with Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic was underwhelming

Aiden McGeady's career in football spanned over 20 years, with the former Republic of Ireland international racking up just shy of 600 career appearances for club and country in that time, yet his stints with Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic left more to be desired and can easily be forgotten about altogether.

Having been born and grown up in Scotland, Aiden McGeady first joined the youth academy of Queens Park, before having trials with various clubs in England, including several visits to Arsenal. The winger decided to sign for Celtic as a teenager and would progress through the Glasgow club's ranks all the way to the first team.

McGeady made his professional debut in April 2004, starting the game against Hearts and scoring on his debut after 17 minutes, and although he would end the 2003/04 season with just four league appearances, his impact was plentiful, and the Irishman would be a regular in The Bhoys' side for the next six seasons thereafter.

The winger would make 241 appearances for Celtic across all competitions for the club before a shock £9.5 million move to Russian outfit Spartak Moscow in August 2010 followed, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal in the Russian capital, becoming the most expensive player out of Scottish football at the time.

He enjoyed four seasons in Moscow, making 93 appearances for Spartak across all competitions, scoring 13 times and grabbing 28 assists before a £4 million move to the English Premier League with Everton in January 2014, with his contract set to expire in the summer.

His game time dwindled with the Toffees, and he would head out on loan to the Championship for the second half of the 2015/16 season with Sheffield Wednesday.

Aiden McGeady would have brief and forgettable stints with both Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton Athletic

The Irishman joined the Owls for the second half of the 2015/16 on loan from Everton, with then-Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal admitting that he had previously tried to sign McGeady for Sporting CP whilst he was still at Celtic.

Carvalhal said, "I am very happy as first of all, he will improve the team. He has extra quality.

"He is a player I know very, very well because when he played at Celtic, I was coach of Sporting and I tried to bring him to Sporting. But at that moment, it was not possible.

"But I analysed him and know him very well. He can help us in the second part of the season, I am absolutely sure.

As it transpired, McGeady would score just once for Wednesday in 13 appearances for the club, and was left out of the side's play-off squad due to poor performances, and would head back to Goodison Park at the end of the season after a poor stint at Hillsborough.

A profitable loan spell with Preston North End in 2016/17 on loan saw McGeady grab eight goals and nine assists in 34 Championship games, which led newly-relegated Sunderland to sign the Irishman for around £500k.

In two-and-a-half years with the Black Cats, despite suffering relegation to League One, McGeady continued to appear regularly, but would be shipped out on loan to Charlton in the Championship for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, with then-manager Phil Parkinson claiming he had no future at the club following a training ground bust-up.

You would be forgiven for forgetting, or just not knowing, that the Irishman had spent time with the London outfit, making just ten appearances for the Addicks in his half-season with the club, whilst never completing a full 90 minutes or contributing to a goal as Charlton were relegated.

His time with both Wednesday and Charlton yielded just one goal and zero assists in a combined 23 appearances for both clubs, with either stint being a particular blemish on his CV.

Owls and Addicks fans will largely forget McGeady's time with their respective clubs, with the winger making little to no impact during his time at Hillsborough or The Valley. Indeed, both clubs may just share a mutual sense of envy towards how McGeady would fare with the likes of Celtic and Sunderland, with the Irishman evidently not lacking one bit in the talent department - but things do not always work out in football.

Aiden McGeady became renowned for creating his own skill move, and would later shine at Sunderland

Although his time with Wednesday and Charlton proved to be a bit of a waste, McGeady still formed an excellent career for himself, and following the dismissal of Parkinson upon his return to Sunderland, the Irishman was reintegrated into the side by Lee Johnson.

He'd finish the 2020/21 campaign with four goals and 14 assists in League One for the Black Cats, including a four-assist salvo in Sunderland's 4-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers.

McGeady ended his Sunderland stay in 2022 with 36 goals and 35 assists in 150 appearances across all competitions, and his performances on the wing in the latter stages of his career will always be remembered by fans of the club.

During his early days, McGeady's flair and technical ability were what made him stand out from the rest, even adopting his own skill move, which is still used and referenced to this day.

The 'McGeady spin' became synonymous with the Irishman, especially on the FIFA video game, where users would constantly use his invention to bedazzle their opposition.

Even some of the greatest players in the world have taken inspiration from the Irishman, and the skill move is still used with great effect to this day for those who dare to attempt it and pull it off.

McGeady would go on to finish his professional career in Scotland with Hibernian and then Ayr United before retirement in 2024, and although his stints with Wednesday and Charlton will be largely forgotten, his time, particularly with Sunderland, and his impact on the beautiful game, will not.