Aiden McGeady shuts down Hibs marquee signing talk as he reveals fears over whether he'd ever play again

It's 12 years since Aiden McGeady left Celtic and Scottish football in a then record £9.5m move to Spartak Moscow.

At just 24 and already with seven major honours under his belt, scores of Ireland caps and the world at his feet the winger was every inch the superstar.

A marquee signing perhaps. Just don’t suggest to the now 36-year-old that a dozen years later he is a marquee signing for Hibs.

McGeady sat down for his first in-depth interview since joining the Leith club at their Algarve training base and poured over the decision to return north of the border and reunite with Lee Johnson.

The new Easter Road boss is on record saying the veteran winger has “nothing to prove but a lot to prove” on his return to Scottish football.

McGeady reckons it’s Johnson playing mind games but he does understand the comment to a degree.

Not least the fact he’s coming back from a medial ligament injury which saw him spend the last six months on the sidelines at Sunderland and which he says had doubts creeping into his head as to whether he’d ever play again.

Then there’s the relationship with opposition fans, which McGeady admitted in an interview just last month saw his every kick booed - and much worse - at away grounds.

Twelve years on he insists he’s happy to play the pantomime villain if it takes the flak off his younger team mates. But marquee signing?

He said: “How am I a marquee signing at 36 on a free transfer?

“I know what I’m capable of but I just never thought I’d be a marquee signing. That’s someone who cost three or four million pounds or a younger player.

“Obviously I’ve come back to Scotland. It’s 12 years since I left Celtic. So I’ve not played in the league for a long time.

“As for being a pantomime villain? I