AIDEN McGEADY has revealed new boss Ronald Koeman told him he had no future at Everton.
The former Celtic winger agreed a season-long loan deal at Championship side Preston just before the transfer deadline.
McGeady was not even given a squad number by Dutch gaffer Koeman who took over at Goodison from sacked Roberto Martinez in the summer.
The Republic of Ireland star was aware he needed to find a new club to get game-time in the new season.
He admitted: “I was pretty keen on getting something sorted.
“I was out of the picture at Everton, the manager made that clear to me after my first couple of days back that I wouldn’t be involved, so I had to get something sorted.
“A couple of things popped up abroad that I wasn’t against and until this came up, I was probably going abroad again.
“However, this is the perfect fit for me.”
McGeady was linked with his former Hoops outfit in January, but ex-boss Ronny Deila ruled out a move as he would be too expensive.
He spent the remainder of the campaign on a temporary deal at Sheffield Wednesday to get much-needed first team football to make sure he got a place in Martin O’Neill’s squad for the European Championship Finals in France.
Scots-born McGeady made his breakthrough at Parkhead in 2004 and won seven honours – including three titles – before being sold to Spartak Moscow for £9.5million six years later.
Long-time admirer Martinez, who tried to lure the player to Swansea, had better luck when he took over at Everton and signed the attacker in January 2014 on a four-and-a-half year contract.
However, McGeady faded from the first team picture at the Merseyside outfit and wasn’t assigned a squad number at the start of last season.
Carlos Carvalhal, who had previously tried to sign the tricky raider for Sporting Lisbon, took him to Hillsborough at the end of January.
But poor form saw McGeady drop off the radar and he didn’t figure in the first team squads for the Championship play-off semi-finals against Brighton or the final when they lost out to Hull City.
Now he is hoping for better luck at Deepdale as Simon Grayson eyes a push towards the Premier League. The North End gaffer also made late swoops for Middlesbrough’s Alex Baptiste and Sheffield Wednesday’s Marnick Vermijl.
McGeady wasn’t linked to a return to Celtic in the recent transfer window, which is somewhat unusual!
