This is what Lee Johnson said about his big Aiden McGeady call at Sunderland

McGeady made his first Sunderland appearance in more than a year in Johnson’s first game in charge, after being excluded from the first-team set up by Phil Parkinson.

The Irishman had initially been named on the bench for the game, but Johnson opted to bring him into the starting XI after deciding he would step into the dugout immediately.

Johnson also brought Will Grigg back into the starting XI, as well as selecting Lee Burge in goal.

“When I shook hands on the deal and still had to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, I wanted to pick the team,” Johnson explained.

“Aiden was sub, but I brought him into the starting XI. The thought process behind that was servicing my own and everyone else’s agenda. Knowing Aiden, and having played against him with my teams, I thought it was important to give him a clean slate.

“If he’s mentally and physically right, Aiden McGeady surely has to be one of the best players in this division. Lacking a bit of confidence and creativity, it was important to try to bring that back.

“I thought he did okay. I thought he tried to unlock a door. It didn’t always happen, but maybe we didn’t feed him as well as we could have done at times. It was important to get him a solid 75 minutes. We probably could have made the sub five or six minutes earlier, but I’m still learning about the subs and the first-team players, and what they can and can’t do.”

It was an underwhelming start in charge for Johnson, who conceded that he has much work to do on the training ground to improve his side’s poor attacking play.

The new Head Coach also confirmed that he feels his squad will need strengthening in January, quickly identifying a lack of pace as an issue.

The former Bristol City boss nevertheless remained upbeat about the road ahead, and says he could not resist the opportunity to be the person to potentially restore Sunderland to their former glory.

“It's a huge job, but that's where I see the potential,” he said.

“I feel like the place really needs to find it's personality. I feel like we need to find the pitch personality, and we need an internal drive.

“All I can assure people is that we will die in a ditch trying to drag this club to where it needs to be.

“At the same time, we want to have fun doing it and we don't want to suppress creativity.

“I certainly think Sunderland's reputation as a fanbase club that is extremely powerful in its passion.

“As a coach there's an element of an ego there, I want to the one to be successful at the football club.

“I understand there's been good managers in the past that haven't been able to be successful, but I've just got that dirty desire to restore Sunderland to its former glory.”

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