Aiden McGeady has this message for Lee Johnson after his Sunderland revival

The 34-year-old fell out of favour under former manager Phil Parkinson, and trained with the under-23 side for much of 2020.

But the arrival of Johnson heralded a fresh opportunity for McGeady, who was handed a start in his first game in charge and has missed just one league game since.

And the winger has paid tribute to the club’s new head coach for handing him a chance – having regained his enjoyment for the game.

"Football can change very quickly,” said McGeady, speaking to safc.com.

"It was a very quick turn of events from being in the 23s to starting against Wigan in the first game he took.

"I’ve obviously got to give the manager a lot of thanks for that because he could have come in and not done what he’s done and just kept me where I was.

"But he’s given me a clean slate and so far I’ve been playing under him and enjoying my football again – which is the main thing.”

McGeady has netted twice in his last two outings for the Black Cats, following-up a header against Hull City with a firmly dispatched penalty in the midweek win over Port Vale.

The former Celtic and Everton man is set to feature again at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon, having become one of the first names on the teamsheet under Johnson.

And having firmly moved on from the events on the last twelve months, McGeady is keen to look towards the future.

"There’s no point in dwelling on the past.

"What has went on has went on, I can’t turn back time.

“But even from when I was first put in the 23s, I still maintained I wanted to stay and help the team. That’s all I wanted to do, but I wasn’t given the chance to do that.

"Now I am, and that’s all I wanted.”

And McGeady is of the belief that the League One promotion race remains wide open.

Sunderland currently sit 10th in the third tier, twelve points behind leaders Lincoln City having played two games less – but the winger says one good run of form could change that.

"The last couple of seasons it has been really wide open,” he admitted.

"The first season there was us, Barnsley, Luton at the top for a long time, Portsmouth as well, but last season you saw Wycombe were eighth and ended up going up in the play-offs.

"Even Sunderland, from the point I wasn’t in the team, we were down in 15th at one point and then the team went on a run of nine games unbeaten and you shoot right back up the table.

"This season is very similar. If we go on a good run of games before the end of the season there’s no reason we can’t be in the mix, and that’s the bare minimum.”

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