AIDEN McGEADY reckons gaffer Scott Brown could still cut it out on the pitch.
But the veteran Ayr United winger already knows his ex Celtic team-mate is solely focused on replicating his playing success as a manager.
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Brown made the perfect start as the Honest Men overcame Queen’s Park at Hampden to climb into sixth place in the Championship.
And McGeady, 37, is delighted to be teaming up with Brown again.
He said: “We’re a wee bit light on midfielders, but I’m sure he could come out of retirement, get his boots back on and he’d be all right.
“Nah, he’s in full-on management mode now, I’ve seen that in him already. He’s got his manager’s hat on.
“I know what Scott was like as a player and he has a winning mentality which drives standards.
“We’ve already seen it in his first couple of days in charge of training. There’s no hiding place any more.
“He’s quite clear in how he wants the team to play and in his demands.
“He only had Thursday and Friday to work with us, but already you have seen a little change in style.
“On Friday, he spent ages walking us through how he wants us to play with and without the ball.
“We reaped the benefits of that against Queen’s Park.”
McGeady joined Ayr last summer as both a player and technical manager and admits he was uncertain of how his position at the club would be impacted by Brown’s arrival.
He said: “I’ve got a dual role and Scott was a bit unsure of what that looked like.
“I explained I’ve been doing coaching with some of the young reserve players.
“I told him if there’s anything he wants me to do, I’m here to support him.
“He then asked me to take half a dozen players for a shooting session, which I was more than happy to do.
“He also wanted some input on our set-pieces, so he involved me right away, which was good, because you’re never sure of what will happen when a new manager comes in.
“He might have just wanted me as a player, but he’s happy for me to carry on the other roles I’ve been doing.”
McGeady enjoyed a late cameo at Hampden on his return from injury as goals from Jamie Murphy and Mark McKenzie, either side of a Ruari Paton strike for the Spiders, secured the win.
The winger added: “That was my first appearance for a while and it was good to get some game time and help the lads get three points.
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“I’m lacking match fitness and some sharpness, but I definitely feel I still have something to offer as a player.”
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