The winger, who came through the academy before becoming a first-team star, caught the attention of various clubs early in his career.
Among them were top English sides, with McGeady saying Arsenal was the one he nearly signed for.
However, a conversation with his father, John McGeady, a former Sheffield United winger, was influential in making his decision to choose Celtic.
McGeady made this revelation while speaking on ‘The Margins’ podcast about his early career choices.
He said: "I first signed for Celtic.
"Before that, the kind of years leading up to that was kind of when I was going on trial down the teams in England and stuff."
He reflected on how close he was to making a different decision: "I was probably quite close to signing for Arsenal.
"They were probably the biggest team I felt most comfortable with."
The winger spoke about the advice from his father that led him to sign for the Glasgow side.
He said: "But then my dad (ex-Sheffield United winger John McGeady) kind of put it quite simply for me.
"He was like, ‘[I] did the same thing’.
"He left school at 16, moved down to Sheffield.
"He said, ‘Look, you if you sign for Arsenal, what’s the chances of you actually making it in the first team? Probably quite slim.
"‘At Celtic, you can stay at home, you can still see all your friends, you can live with your family… there’s more chance of getting in the first team.'"
He added: "And I signed for Celtic and it was the best thing I’ve done."
McGeady enjoyed an illustrious career, representing several clubs after his time at Celtic, including Spartak Moscow, Everton, Sunderland, and Hibs.
His original choice as a teenager of signing for the Scottish side, as influenced by his father's advice, remains a profound turning point in his football journey.