The Parkhead hero made a career out of tormenting full-backs, dazzling supporters and handling the expectation that comes with wearing green and white. Few players understand better what it takes to survive, let alone flourish, in one of Scottish football's most unforgiving positions.

That's why when McGeady delivers a verdict on a Celtic winger, it tends to carry weight.

And his assessment of Sebastian Tounekti is as blunt as it is worrying.

The former Republic of Ireland international believes the £5million recruit is becoming a victim of both a crisis of confidence and a lack of development in key areas of his game. More significantly, McGeady fears the winger has become predictable, one-paced in his decision-making and too easy for defenders to read.

In short, he believes Tounekti is "too one-dimensional" and running out of opportunities to prove he belongs at Celtic.

Tounekti arrived from Hammarby in 2025 carrying plenty of excitement and expectation. The Tunisian winger had shown flashes of pace and ability, but consistency has proved elusive.

His latest setback came in the Europa League defeat to Benfica when he was caught napping for the Portuguese side's second goal. Any hopes of an immediate response were then dashed when he was omitted from the squad for the 7-1 destruction of Hearts.

With Callum Osmand emerging as a genuine option, Jota back in the picture and Yang pushing towards a return, the competition for places is only becoming fiercer.

For McGeady, the biggest concern is that Tounekti's struggles are now becoming a pattern rather than a temporary dip.

Speaking ahead of In Good Company, a new live football event at SWG3 on November 1, McGeady said: "He's clearly suffering from a lack of confidence, but a lack of belief as well, I think.

"When he goes up against full-backs, you can see it. Against Motherwell he played quite well and people were saying, 'Tounekti's back'. That's because he's playing against a full-back he knows he's got the beating of.

"But when he's up against a full-back who's a little bit quicker and a little bit stronger, that's when he goes, 'I'll take the ball and pass back to you'."

It is a criticism that cuts to the heart of what Celtic expect from their attacking players.

Wingers at Parkhead are not there simply to retain possession or avoid mistakes. They are expected to take risks, attack defenders and create magic. McGeady built his reputation doing exactly that, and he sees a player currently lacking the courage or confidence to keep asking difficult questions of opponents.

More concerningly, he feels Tounekti has not developed enough alternative solutions when his primary strength is neutralised.

McGeady said: "That's when he doesn't have the belief to think, 'How can I beat this guy if I can't beat him for pace?'

"Can I play a one-two around him? Can I run in behind him? That's one thing Tounekti doesn't really do either.

"I think he's too one-dimensional, to be honest, as a winger. He goes down the line and then cuts back. He always slows the game down too much for me as well.

"There is some talent there but now time is passing as to when you're actually going to see it.

"You get a bit of grace when you sign and people put up with inconsistent performances. But when they're becoming the norm rather than your good games being the exception, you're not going to be in the team for very long. That's obviously what he's finding now."

For all the criticism, McGeady is not writing the player off if changes are forthcoming.

The former Everton and Sunderland star believes confidence remains at the heart of the issue and insists Celtic's coaching staff must shoulder much of the responsibility for helping the winger rediscover his belief.

Having experienced the pressure cooker environment of Glasgow himself as a young player, McGeady knows how easy it can be for self-doubt to creep into a winger's game. Once that happens, instinctive decisions become laboured and players stop doing the very things that earned them a place in the team.

His solution is straightforward: keep encouraging Tounekti to be brave.

McGeady said: "First of all you'd have to build up his confidence. That wouldn't come from me, it comes from the management and coaching staff.

"The way I had it when I was younger, if I had dips in confidence, you had someone supporting you and saying, 'Keep doing what you're doing. I don't want you to turn back. I want you to take the full-back on. That's why you're in the team'.

"We'd probably stress messages like that and then work on his technique, his delivery and how he gets half a yard.

"You've probably seen it so many times. He stands the defender up and shifts onto his right.

"How about you add another dimension and start going down the line more? Then once you've gone down the line more, cut back onto your right.

"Just mix it up. Like I said, he seems too one-dimensional for me, but there are a million things you could make him better at."

If McGeady's views on Tounekti are sobering, his opinion on fellow winger Haissem Hassan could hardly be more different.

The former Celtic favourite has been hugely impressed by the Egypt international since his £6million move from Las Palmas and sees a natural attacker capable of exciting supporters every time he receives possession.

In many ways, Hassan represents exactly the type of winger McGeady loves.

Direct, aggressive and eager to put defenders under constant pressure.

McGeady said: "I like him.

"I think he's direct. He's very positive and he wants to take the full-back on every opportunity he gets.

"The only thing that's missing from his game at the minute is his numbers. He's not scoring or creating enough, I don't think. But we're very, very early into his Celtic career."

Indeed, McGeady admitted he was surprised to see Hassan overlooked against Benfica.

For him, the winger brings a quality that is increasingly difficult to find in the modern game.

McGeady said: "For me, he's a throwback winger. He's one that I'd love to watch play.

"He gets the ball and either goes down the line with pace or comes inside. He can always seem to get away from his defender.

"I think maybe the reason he hasn't been playing as much is because of what he doesn't give you going back the way. That's maybe key in how Martin wants to set up his team.

"But for me, I love watching him play. I just think he has to start adding goals and more assists to his game."

McGeady understands there is a balancing act for any manager. Modern football places far more emphasis on tactical shape, pressing and defensive discipline than the game he broke into two decades ago.

But he also believes elite attacking players are allowed a degree of freedom, provided they are consistently delivering at the business end of the pitch.

He said: "It's different now because teams play 4-3-3.

"When I played in a 4-4-2 you had to go up and down all game and track the full-back the whole way.

"You still have to track back now and fill in, but it's not as prevalent because of the formation change.

"I think you can take players who don't run all the way back.

"As long as you're giving goals and assists and doing your job going that way, you can let a few things slide going this way. That's the balancing act of being a manager.

"But if you're not getting it going that way and you're not getting it that way, then what are you in the team for?"

While much of McGeady's focus centred on Celtic's wide options, he also identified what he sees as a longer-standing problem at the core of the side.

The former winger believes the squad remains short of a genuine midfield enforcer capable of bringing athleticism, power and physicality alongside captain Callum McGregor.

It is a concern McGeady feels has existed for years and one that continues to be exposed whenever Celtic face opponents capable of matching them physically.

Recent setbacks against Rangers and in Europe have only strengthened that opinion.

McGeady said: "It would definitely help because you've seen in the Rangers games and games in Europe that Celtic don't really have any physicality in midfield. Callum McGregor always plays as the six and then you've got Mika Baur and Nygren ahead of him.

"Is that a big two in there with Baur and McGregor? Not really. They don't have loads of legs, athleticism or physicality. It's something Celtic don't really have.

"To be honest, Celtic have needed that for five years just to compete with Callum McGregor, but I've never really seen anybody pushing Callum McGregor."

Catch Neil Lennon, Aiden McGeady and James McFadden live at In Good Company, SWG3 Glasgow, on Sunday 1 November. One night only – book your tickets now via Ticketmaster.