Aiden McGeady future latest as Hibs boss delivers update following conversation with injured winger

Hibs manager Lee Johnson has delivered an update on the future of winger Aiden McGeady, who is sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in mid-February.

The 37-year-old underwent surgery recently after pulling up ten minutes before half-time in the 2-0 cinch Premiership victory over Kilmarnock but won’t kick a ball again this season. McGeady only managed nine league appearances for Hibs after suffering a recurrence of the knee injury that troubled him during his final season with previous club Sunderland while appearing in a summer friendly against Norwich City. He notched two assists in January and played a big part in Hibs’ seven-game unbeaten run before succumbing to his second injury set-back of the season.

However, speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Tannadice to face Dundee United, the Easter Road boss revealed that the veteran wideman isn’t ready to hang up his boots just yet – and in fact sees his future at Hibs.

“We’ve had a brief conversation but the main focus for us and for him is getting fit. We have to do that anyway and then there has to be a decision made on the back of that. It’s the right thing to do to make sure we see that process through – and that could be anywhere from 12 weeks to 24 weeks, depending on how he reacts to the surgery and how his rehab goes, and the age factor comes into it as well,” Johnson explained.

Aiden McGeady is keen to extend his time with Hibs despite suffering an injury-hit campaign

“The one thing I do know and I can publicly state is that he’s very, very keen to continue to play, and he’s very keen to continue to play for Hibs. Especially with a player that age, there’s a lot of consideration to decide on for him and for us, but he does want to play on.”

Speaking in January, McGeady admitted the first half of the campaign had been ‘some of the worst of his career’, adding: “There’s nothing worse than being injured. I actually contemplated just packing it in completely. I thought, ‘I’m never going to get over this’. There must have been people thinking, ‘he’s come here for a jolly up or to top up his pension’. I absolutely wasn’t. I still love playing football and want to do well for Hibs.”