Aiden McGeady says Roy Keane's apppointment as the new head coach would give Sunderland fans a lift following Lee Johnson's sacking.
Keane is among the leading candidates to return to the Stadium of Light hotseat, and is reportedly set for an interview with the club's hierarchy.
McGeady has worked with Keane at Celtic and with the Republic of Ireland, and speaking to Sky Sports News, said: "I played with Roy [Keane] I’ve known him for a long time. I played with him at Celtic, he was my coach at Ireland.
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"He’s got a lot of fans and he’s still held in high regard here. It’s not my job to comment on speculation, but he would give the fans a lift."
One potentially awkward situation for McGeady could be comments he made in an interiew with the Irish Indpendant on Keane.
Starting his career with Celtic in 2004, the Irishman begun to impress fans as an 18-year-old, with Keane as a team-mate
It happened to be the last season of Keane's career, retiring after an unsuccessful playing year with Celtic.
And although McGeady will have enjoyed playing alongside one of the greatest midfielders of his generation in fellow countryman Keane, it's fair to say that he wasn't his biggest fan as a personality.
McGeady was quoted in the Irish independent as stating: "I played with him at Celtic and that was bad enough.
"He is just one of those guys who always has something to say about everything. I got on with him as a guy, but he is just one of those guys who has an opinion on everything."
Sunderland are looking to re-employ Keane after Lee Johnson was somewhat controversially sacked last weekend following a 6-0 loss away at Bolton.
It's been a strong season for Sunderland so far, but the board felt a decision had to be made after the embarrassing defeat.
And it's an appointment that would sit well the fans, too, with over 50 per cent stating that Roy Keane is their pick for the job.
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