Aiden McGeady has no doubts there are issues with Russian football but says his overall experience of the game in the country was positive and feels it is something other British players should try.
McGeady's time at Spartak Moscow, whom he left for Everton in January after three-and-a-half seasons following his arrival from Celtic, soured towards the end, and he was made to train with the youth team while the broader problem of racism in the Russian game was something the 28-year-old did encounter, albeit not directly.
At a pre-match press conference at Krasnodar's Kuban Stadium, he rejected the suggestion from one local journalist that his stint in Russia had been "like a nightmare" and earned a round of applause for giving one of his answers in Russian.
"I enjoyed a lot of it - just towards the end it got difficult," he said. "I was told to train with the youth team for three weeks. Then I was told if I didn't leave I was staying with the youth team for the rest of my contract. So it ended on a bit of a sour note. But I always kind of got on with the manager and that's just the way it ended. Racism didn't affect me directly, obviously, but there were issues now and again.
Asked if he would encourage others to ply their trade in Russia, he said: "Yes. I didn't really know what to expect, but it definitely opened my eyes and I probably grew up a bit."
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