“I don't think any Celtic fan would want that again” — McGeady

Aiden McGeady has watched his boyhood club Celtic lift plenty of league titles, including several during his time at the club, but last season's chaotic triumph stands out above the rest.

As the Scottish top flight chugs into gear, Champions Celtic are looking back on a 2025 season that saw them crowned champions on the last day after being 10 points adrift at multiple points in the season and losing their manager twice during the year.

“It was probably one of the best title wins as a fan because of the way it happened. It was such a nervy season and to win it on the final day against the only other team that could win the league, effectively in a one-off game, was amazing,” said the Former Ireland and Celtic winger speaking in partnership with Betgoodwin.

“That said, I don't think any Celtic fan would want to go through that again,” he told the Observer.

“I'd probably compare it to 2008 when we won the league on the last day against Dundee United with Rangers pushing us all the way. Most Scottish titles are wrapped up before the final game, so that's the closest comparison.”

“To go from where Celtic were in January, changing manager and then going on the run they did before winning both the league and the Scottish Cup, was unbelievable. Considering where they were halfway through the season, I don't think it could really have gone any better.

Much of the season's turnaround was attributed to the return of McGeady’s former Celtic and Ireland manager Martin O’Neill, who was brought in as interim manager last season following the departure of Brendan Rodgers in October 2025 and then again after replacement Wilfred Nancy was given his marching orders in January 2026.

McGeady wasn’t surprised at the success that the 74-year-old O’Neill brought to the club last season, having won three titles with the club in the 2000s, while McGeady was breaking into the first team.

“Martin was amazing to work under. He gave me my debut at Celtic, and I played a lot under him in that first season. Then, after leaving Celtic, he became Republic of Ireland manager, which was brilliant for me as well.”

“His biggest strength was the way he handled expectations, pressure and different personalities. He wasn't a hands-on coach in terms of running training every day - his staff did a lot of that - but on matchday he came alive.”

“He made sure every player understood exactly what was expected, and if you weren't doing your job, he'd let you know. His greatest quality was getting the very best out of the players he had available.”

McGeady made 93 appearances for Ireland in his career, eligible through his Donegal grandparents, but avoided playing for Scotland due to a quirk in the Scottish development system where underage players need to play for their school.

“When I was 15, Scotland wouldn't let me play because Celtic didn't allow players to represent their schools, and Scotland required that. Ireland didn't have that rule, so they invited me in.”

“By the time people started asking why I wasn't playing for Scotland, I'd already been through the Irish youth system, knew all the lads and loved being part of it.”

“No, I don't have any regrets. Would it have made my life easier? Probably, but the decision was almost made for me because of the rules at the time.

“When I look back, I played at two European Championships and came close to qualifying for two World Cups, while Scotland didn't qualify for a major tournament during that period. So I think I made the right decision!”

McGeady had a successful career with Ireland, becoming a leader on the field and a fan favourite with his trademark McGeady twist.

A stand-out moment for him in his Irish Career was against Georgia in 2014 during a European Championship Qualification campaign, when he beat his man with a spin on the edge of the box and curled it into the top corner for a two-one win.