AIDEN McGEADY'S eyes are firmly fixed on next Saturday's Euro 2016 qualifier as he aims to put one over on the country of his birth.

Scotland's 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in Celtic park last November hurt McGeady more than most as the stands gave a hostile reception to the Paisely born winger, lining out in the colours of the Irish.

"I've never taken stick like that before" admits McGeady, his tone of voice still stinging. "It was a game I wasn't really looking forward to because I knew it would be like that.

"It would have been great if we had won, if I'd scored, if I'd played well and really just won, but we didn't and it made it a whole lot worse because I know all the Scottish players.

"I know a lot of Scotland fans, who bring it up to me when I'm home but mainly from the team's point of view it would have been a big point for us if we had drawn."

The match on Saturday week is make or break for the Irish - anything but a win could close the door on a trip to France next summer and even the first visit of England to Dublin since 1995 can't distract McGeady.

"The Scotland one's the big one obviously" grinned McGeady. "We want to get our own back on them from the last game. We never played well enough to win the game."

"It would have been nice to have come away with a point but a bit of ball-watching and switching off at a set-piece has cost us a point. It could have been an important point."

"So obviously the Scotland game is the important one. The England one is obviously a big game as well but it's a friendly and the Scotland one is the most important from my point of view and I think everyone else's as well."

McGeady felt the sting of the crowd in Celtic park, a night he didn't display one of his most memorable performances in the Irish shirt, though he wouldn't accept it was due to the reception.

"I just thought I couldn't really get into the game, especially in the first half, and then probably when I was getting the ball, I was maybe trying to do too much with it.

"Maybe it affected me, I don't think it did, really. I just think it was one of those nights when things didn't quite go to plan," explained McGeady who had family and friends in Celtic Park.

"I don't think" it was bad on them."Probably it was worse for me because James McCarthy was injured as well, It was just basically me taking the brunt of the abuse.

"Stephen Naismith tried to give me a little bit of stick on the pich, but I knew he was joking, that's what he like"

Some stick was handed out on his return to Paisley, "It was okay, but it's still stuff you don't like hearing, even if it is banter, so obviously we have got this game coming up and you really want to win."

The game is a must win for the Irish who are two points behind the Scots who occupies the play-off position in group D, the Irish having lost in Glasgow and drew at home to Poland.

McGeady expects the Irish fans to recreate the cauldron of Glasgow next week "There will be a lot of Scottish fans over as well and it will make for a good atmosphere".

"It will give us that extra, to use that cliché, twelfth man and a bit of a lift.