Winger Aiden McGeady says that he wants to keep playing for Sunderland for as long as he can, and believes he can still compete in the Championship to do that if necessary.

Having been loaned out to Charlton for the second half of last season, McGeady struggled to force his way into Phil Parkinson's side upon his return to the Stadium of Light in the summer, and was seemingly destined to leave the club sooner rather than later, with his contract expiring at the end of this season.

However, Parkinson's sacking and the appointment of Lee Johnson has seen McGeady once again become a regular in the Black Cats' starting lineup, with the Republic of Ireland scaling hew heights by assisting Charlie Wyke for all four of Sunderland's goals during their 4-1 win over promotion rivals Doncaster on Saturday.

Perhaps inevitably, that has led to fresh questions about McGeady's future at the club with his contract drawing to a close, and it seems as though the winger himself knows exactly what he wants.

Speaking about his future at Sunderland in the aftermath of that win, McGeady told The Sunderland Echo: “It's not up to me. The manager has mentioned to me that he sees that I've got two or three years left in me at this level or higher.

"I was playing last season in the Championship for Charlton and I'm not saying I ripped it up. but I felt I could still play there myself. My hope is to just carry on playing for Sunderland as long as I can."

Indeed, it already appears as though McGeady has demonstrated his commitment to the Black Cats in previous transfer windows, as he went on to reveal: "When I signed that extension over a year ago I could have left, but I like it here.

"I could have left in the summer, I probably should have left in the summer, but I thought the way things were going it was best to stick around, if you know what I mean.”

In total, McGeady has made 113 appearances and scored 31 goals in all competitions for Sunderland, since joining from Everton back in the summer of 2017.

The Verdict

Right now, this looks to be a positive sign from a Sunderland perspective.

McGeady looks to be in outstanding form for the Black Cats right now, and is showing that even at 34-year-old, he can still make a big impact for the club.

As a result, you do feel as though Sunderland ought to be looking to secure his future at the Stadium of Light into next season at least.

With that in mind, given McGeady himself appears to want to stay at the club, it does feel as though it would be something of a surprise if a new deal between the two parties is agreed sooner rather than later.