Roker Roundup: Former mackem piles praise on McGeady; Sunderland defender returns from loan

Meyler praises McGeady

Aiden McGeady clinched a point for Sunderland in the crunch game with Peterborough United on Monday afternoon with a sweetly taken free-kick.

Speaking on OTB AM the next morning, former Sunderland midfielder David Meyler was full of praise for his fellow former Irish international.

Meyler has admitted that McGeady can be outspoken but believes that has to be accepted due to the quality he has on the pitch:

For whatever reason at the start of this season at Sunderland, it didn’t exactly work out, Aiden is very outspoken, he speaks his mind which I have no problem with because there’s no doubting his ability on the pitch.

Lee Johnson then came in as manager and what does he do, he brings McGeady straight back in and look at the success they’ve had.

Meyler continued, describing the Sunderland winger as unbelievable and lauding his international achievements:

Aiden’s unbelievable, if you remember the Georgia game in the 92nd minute, Aiden did what’s now renowned as the McGeady spin and then slotted the ball into the top corner.

Aiden did that on the regular in training.

One of the hardest things in football is to have that ability to beat someone in a one v one. A top winger wants to eye up the full back and take him on, Aiden has that in abundance.

He turned 35 the other day, so time isn’t exactly on his side but he has had a wonderful career, he’s definitely a gifted player, you look back at when he first came onto the Ireland scene, he’s been around for such a long time.

Of course, people will fight back and say that we didn’t see enough of his quality in an Ireland shirt, there were key moments or key games where he produced a performance but they wanted to see it over a duration.

Certainly though, Aiden was an incredible player for Ireland.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Milestone for Advocaat

Dick Advocaat will be retiring from football at the end of the season, as he brings the curtain down on a long managerial career.

But before he finishes, he had one more milestone to accomplish as he becomes only the sixth manager to rack up 200 wins in the Eredivisie, according to the league’s official website.

Advocaat achieved the feat during Feyenoord’s 2-0 win over Fortuna Sittard and he joins Bert Jacobs (273), Kees Rijvers (251), Han Berger (226), Louis van Gaal (216) and Ronald Koeman (210) on the list.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

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First Blackpool goal for Embleton

Elliot Embleton continues to shine during his loan spell with play-off contenders Blackpool and the Sunderland loanee got on the scoresheet for the first time for the Tangerines during their 4-1 home win over Gillingham.

That win marked his 11th appearance for Neil Critchley’s side and he has also picked up three assists as Blackpool move up the table.

It was not such a good matchday for Benji Kimpioka, despite a good start to his loan spell with Torquay United, the Swedish under-21 forward had to be substituted due to injury after just 29 minutes in Torquay’s 1-0 away win at Wrexham.

Kenton Richardson has returned to Sunderland from his loan spell at Notts County, after Ian Burchnall’s side opted to call an early end to his, and Stevenage’s Inih Effiong, loan spells.

Burchnall explained the decision to the club’s official website, citing the restrictions of the maximum number of loan players allowed in a matchday squad:

With restrictions on the number of loan players we can name in a matchday squad, we feel it’s going to be very difficult to guarantee game-time for Inih and Kenton and therefore think it’s in their best interests to return to their clubs.

We thank them for their efforts and wish them well for the future.

Photo by Dave Howarth - CameraSport via Getty Images