Phil Parkinson's bold Aiden McGeady call divides opinion but promising Sunderland duo can make it work

Yet he continues to spark a big reaction among Sunderland fans, his name again coming to the fore this weekend after Phil Parkinson confirmed he had no future at the club under him.

A predictable stance by the Sunderland boss and no great surprise after he was removed from the first-team group last year.

But still a bold call to make, especially when the club is in desperate need of promotion this season, third time lucky supporters hope.

Parkinson clearly feels the Sunderland squad has a better chance of achieving that without McGeady being part of it, after removing him from the first-team picture last December, Parkinson said that the decision taken then was not due to any one specific incident.

But he went on to concede that he felt generally that the spirit of the group could improve, it was clear then that McGeady had no Sunderland future while Parkinson was at the helm.

Managers live and die by their big calls and Parkinson has stated he is keen to promote the club’s younger players in those key attacking midfield positions, the likes of Elliot Embleton and Dan Neil.

McGeady returned to training last week and is with the Under-23 group, though a calf injury means he will be prevented from training for a spell.

Either way, he has no first team future at Sunderland and the priority now will be to find him a new club before the end of the transfer window, either on loan or a permanent exit, with another year left on his contract.

McGeady will be keen to play football, he showed that when he joined Charlton Athletic on loan, and he won’t want to spend the next 12-months training with the Under-23s, especially at the age of 34.

It has been a bitterly disappointing end to McGeady’s Sunderland spell with the midfielder clearly still one of - if not the - most talented and naturally gifted players at the club.

Crucially, Parkinson wants to go down a different route: “We've got some good young players and I think it is time for the Elliot Embleton’s and the Dan Neil's of this world to step up to the plate and be a part of our first-team squad.”

There was a strong reaction to the news McGeady would not play for the first team, with opinions divided among supporters, on social media at least.

Some praised Parkinson for his strong decision making and clear stance and clarity, while others questioned whether more could be done to integrate McGeady back into the fold given his undeniable talent and what he could bring to a promotion push.

Clearly, however, there is no way back.

And the time is now for McGeady to move on and for the club to focus on the next generation, with hopes high for Embleton and Neil, who has enjoyed a sparkling pre-season.

That does, however, bring an added wave of pressure, with both youngsters targeting a breakthrough season under Parkinson.

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