Republic of Ireland midfielder Aiden McGeady is enjoying a new lease of life at Championship side Preston North End after a stop-start 2016.

The 30-year-old dropped out of the reckoning at his parent club Everton before a disappointing loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday last season.

McGeady has since joined Preston on a season long loan and has settled in immediately at Deepdale with a string of impressive performances and he'll be hoping to help his new side push for a play-off place.

The midfielder has put down his return of form to the freedom that manager Simon Grayson has afforded him on the pitch.

"The manager’s been really good with me, letting me go out and express myself," he said. "I’m not worrying about making mistakes, giving the ball away or things like that.

"I’ve enjoyed the atmosphere in the group as well. I’ve come in and there’s a good set of lads, I’ve just enjoyed everything about it.

"I’m playing again and looking forward to Saturday because the last couple of years has been quite stop-start for me.

"I know the manager’s got a lot of faith in me. I can see that and he wants me to go out and play my own game."

“I’ve not really played that much at Everton and then at Sheffield Wednesday I was in and out. I know the manager’s got a lot of faith in me. He wants me to go out and play my own game.

"I know the manager’s got a lot of faith in me. I can see that and he wants me to go out and play my own game.

"From my first game against Barnsley he said ‘do what you were doing four or five years ago and don’t worry about giving the ball away or making mistakes’. That’s kind of stuck with me."

McGeady is part of a growing Irish cohort at Preston, with Eoin Doyle, Alan Browne and Greg Cunningham recently being joined by former Dundalk duo Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan.

Both Boyle and Horgan have settled in well to life in the Championship according to McGeady, who revealed that he put in a good word for the pair before they made their move.

"They were in a couple of days before the start of January for a couple of days training and they’ve settled in well.

"To be honest with you it’s the same as most players who have come here, they’ve settled in well and the lads have made them feel welcome.

"The manager asked me about them before they signed and I said I hadn’t seen that much because I’d only trained three or four days with them.

"But from what I’d seen, I put in a good word for them so they might want to give me a little bonus."

Interview courtesy of David Nelligan.