Former Sunderland midfielder Dylan McGeouch has continued his English football odyssey by securing a move to League One new boys Carlisle United.
McGeouch, who started his career at Celtic, first came to the English league on loan at Coventry. He returned to Celtic and later appeared for Hibernian before moving south of the border permanently to become part of the Jack Ross revolution at the Stadium of Light.
He struggled to establish himself with the Mackems, making just 30 league appearances in a one-and-a-half-year stay. He returned to Scotland shortly after Jack Ross was sacked, joining Aberdeen, but again found game time limited during a two-and-a-half-year stint at Pittodrie. When that came to a conclusion, he moved to Forest Green Rovers. He played 26 times for them before their relegation to League Two, and despite being offered a new deal, the 30-year-old opted to depart.
He’s now joined Paul Simpson’s Carlisle United, promoted from League Two via the play-offs. They return to the third tier for the first time in ten seasons, having finished fifth in the table. They overcame Bradford City in the semi-finals before defeating Stockport at Wembley.
United boss Paul Simpson said: “He’s a player who has a wealth of experience both up in Scotland and also down here. He also has League One experience and he’s a really good footballer.
“He comes from a good spell at Forest Green last season, and I know it’s stating the obvious, but I’m just really pleased that we’ve got him. He’s a great addition to the group.”
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Writer’s View
The harsh truth is McGeouch has flattered to deceive ever since leaving Hibernian. His move to Sunderland was not a success, although it could be said he joined a team with huge expectations from the start. 32,000 supporters can easily sway a player in terms of performance, so he could be forgiven for underperforming.
The same can not be said of Forest Green, and whilst he wasn’t a ‘flop’ there, he wasn’t able to keep them in the division either. The Wikipedia warriors up in Carlisle might be concerned they’ve signed a player past his best. I think that might be premature.
Whilst his record in England isn’t great, McGeouch is a player with talent. He’s tenacious and hard-working, and he has experience in the division, which will stand the Cumbrians in good stead. I think McEouch will do well at Brunton Park, and he’s a solid acquisition for the club.
