How Aiden McGeady gave Sunderland fans hope during darkest hours as attacker joins Hibernian

But what does McGeady mean to Sunderland supporters and what is his legacy on Wearside?

Here, James Copley takes a look:

McGeady did more than anyone to lift Sunderland out of League One.

The numbers back it up. 36 goals and 34 assists in 150 games across all competitions during his five-season stay at Sunderland. The stats, though, never tell the full story.

The talismanic Republic of Ireland international was Sunderland’s marquee signing in the Championship back in 2017 after the club had been humiliatingly relegated from the Premier League under David Moyes.

McGeady’s signing represented a small glimmer of hope that Ellis Short and Martin Bain still harboured some ambition for Sunderland. How wrong we all were.

Newly-installed manager Simon Grayson had witnessed McGeady’s quality during his loan spell at Preston North End and moved quickly to bring him to Wearside from Everton on a three-year deal.

His first goal in Sunderland colours came against Norwich City. A rocket. It was a sign of things to come. McGeady didn’t do boring goals.

It was a chaotic season. Grayson was sacked. In came Chris Coleman. Relegation followed. The second in as many seasons.

Yet still, McGeady managed 12 goal contributions in 35 Championship matches. A driver of standards even in Sunderland’s darkest season – although it was hard to see that at the time.

He was expected to leave the club. He was too big, too good for League One. But he stayed… why? The cynics will point toward wages as being the deciding factor.

But McGeady’s drive and determination to hoist the club out of League One was evident almost immediately during that novelty-filled first season under Jack Ross as he performed admirably.

There were so many stand-out McGeady moments during that campaign, non more so than his two goals at Wembley against Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy final.

“It’s Aiden McGeady… it’s in! Wembley shakes to the sound of Sunderland joy and believe me this place is shaking!”

Let us not forget too that McGeady played through the pain of a fractured foot such was his determination to help Sunderland reach the Championship at the first attempt.

33-years-old at the time, McGeady put his body on the line and took painkilling injections to try and hoist Sunderland over the line, but just like the Portsmouth game, it wasn’t to be against Charlton either.

There were times when McGeady was a cheat code at League One level – but then came Phil Parkinson.

Parkinson inexplicably moved to isolate McGeady from the first team. He was scapegoated.

In the eyes of many, Parkinson’s decision meant McGeady was a problem. It must have been a tough and frustrating period.

A loan to Charlton in the Championship followed but McGeady was simply biding his time…

He knew Parkinson wouldn’t last, and he didn’t. In came Lee Johnson who restored the winger to Sunderland’s starting XI as his first act as head coach.

What followed was quite frankly ridiculous to witness. McGeady notched assist after assist after assist. 16 in 31 league matches. He made Charlie Wyke look like Olivier Giroud.

But Sunderland faltered again in the play-offs against Lincoln City over two legs. It made you wonder where Sunderland would have been if McGeady had been used during the entirety of the season.

A new contract followed with McGeady heading into his mid-thirties – a just reward for his performances, drive, talent and professionalism.

He could have moved elsewhere but for McGeady, the job wasn’t done.

McGeady started this season in mixed form but injuries caught up with him and ruled him out for the majority of Sunderland’s campaign as Alex Neil replaced Johnson.

At 36-years-old, he agonised his way back to some sort of fitness for Sunderland’s run-in as he pushed to make an impact, yearning to be the man to end Sunderland’s League One nightmare.

It was not to be as McGeady remained on the bench against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium.

Afterwards, he seemed both happy and sad. Understandably so.

A consummate professional, he praised his teammates and gave thanks to the fans for their support over the years.

“I didn’t play but it was good to be a part of it. It is probably only me and Gooch who were here from the first play-off final. It was good to be a part of it.” McGeady told The Echo.

When asked if he would remain at Sunderland, McGeady was as straight-talking as ever: “I honestly don’t know. I still want to play. I’m going to carry on playing. I just don’t know where it will be.

“I doubt it will be here but I have enjoyed my time here. If it has come to end then so be it.

“I have enjoyed it here massively. Hence why I’ve stayed for so long.”

The sad irony is that McGeady did indeed do more than anyone to get Sunderland promoted but was not on the pitch at Wembley when it finally happened.

However, the truth is that it was mostly McGeady who made Sunderland’s four-year League One torment bearable. A flick here, a pirouette there, an assist, a goal – hope.

As my colleague at The Echo, Phil Smith, recently pointed out: the joy in football comes from moments and in a despondent era McGeady delivered them in heaps.

The debate will rage as to where McGeady ranks amongst the pantheon of Sunderland legends, favourites and icons but that is for others to decide.

For now, all that is left is to say thank you for your services to Sunderland and good luck back up in Scotland with Hibernian and Lee Johnson.