McGeady’s sympathy for Rangers is limited

The Scottish champions were deducted ten points for going into administration a fortnight ago over an unpaid tax bill of £9million accrued since Craig Whyte took over from Sir David Murray last May.

With manager Ally McCoist fearing he may lose players to cost-cutting measures, administrators Duff and Phelps await the verdict of a tax tribunal on the use of Employment Benefit Trusts during the decade before Whyte acquired the club, which could cost Rangers £49 million.

Rangers were also hit with a £2.8 million tax bill last year over a player compensation scheme from 1999 to 2003, a bill which has now risen to £4.4million with interest and penalties.

McGeady, now playing for Russian side Spartak Moscow, is in Dublin preparing for the Republic of Ireland’s friendly against the Czech Republic tomorrow.

Asked if there would be sympathy for Rangers among other Scottish clubs, he said: “I’m a Celtic fan, so I can’t say I feel much sympathy, but if it was happening to Celtic, of course you would be absolutely gutted.

“I have got a lot of friends who are Rangers fans, and that is absolutel torture if that’s happening to your team.

“But Rangers are too big a club for them to go under. Obviously, everyone there is very, very anxious just now and waiting on the outcome of what’s going to happen, but I can’t see anything worse happening to them than is happening just now.

“Ten points off and in administration, but I can’t see the club going under, it’s not going to happen.

“You don’t want to see it happen to anyone. It’s really a difficult situation to be in for the players who are earning their wages.

“But it’s just the way football goes sometimes. To be honest, it’s not got much to do with Celtic.

“Obviously people are saying they would miss Celtic versus Rangers games, but it’s really their own fault for over-paying players’ wages 10, 15 years ago and not paying taxes on them.

“That’s the way it goes, it comes back to haunt you later on in football.”