Clubs eye McGeady after fall-out with manager

FORMER Celtic star Aiden McGeady is being watched closely by other Russian clubs after apparently falling out with boss Valeri Karpin at Spartak Moscow.

In four games since the winter break, the 25-year-old has been used for a total of 105 minutes after being irreplaceable last year.

The manager and player have remained silent on why McGeady is mainly on the bench, but a top pundit claims there are now tensions in his relationship with his boss.

“Why does McGeady look so awful now?” asked former Soviet star Yevgeny Lovchev. “Physically, he doesn’t seem in the best condition, it’s true. But there also appears to be a psychological problem.

“It looks as if he does not want to play for his current team any more. He is an Irish international but Valeri Karpin does not trust him, resulting in the player losing the spark which ignited his performances last year.”

Speculation in Russia already suggests that current champions Zenit St Petersburg are closely monitoring McGeady’s situation.

It is even claimed Zenit have tabled a £7 million offer for the next transfer window in the summer.

Other big Russian clubs are known to rate him too. McGeady was substituted in the 0-0 draw with Anzhi Makhachkala, and came on as a second-half substitute in two other matches. Last Sunday, when Spartak celebrated their first victory of 2012 with a 3-1 win over Dynamo Moscow, McGeady was not used at all.