SCOTT SINCLAIR, the Celtic winger, hopes being reunited with mentor Brendan Rodgers will help reignite his enthusiasm for the game after several fallow seasons. The 27 year-old signed a four-year deal with the Scottish champions on Saturday after concluding a £4.5m transfer from Aston Villa, and made a scoring debut in Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle the following day.
Sinclair worked under Rodgers as a youth player at Chelsea and again at Swansea City, and describes the Northern Irishman as a key figure in his career. He hopes Rodgers can rekindle his love for the game at Celtic after a difficult few years that included failing to make the breakthrough at Manchester City and then being relegated from the Premier League with Villa last season.
“Brendan’s been a massive influence on my career having worked with me for so long,” he said. “I was 16 when I first met him when I went to Chelsea from Bristol Rovers. So I’ve known him a long time. Right from the start, he made a big impression on me. He did well with the Chelsea youth team, moved on to take charge of the reserves and hasn’t really looked back since.He got the best football out of me at Swansea and that got me a move to Manchester City.
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“Now in my career I want to get that emotion back – the excitement of playing football. As a player it’s hard when you are not playing regularly – it’s about being strong and driving to get another breakthrough. I’ve got that breakthrough now signing for Celtic and I want to kick on.
“Last season was a tough time and disappointing for the club. Being relegated means it’s difficult to pick out any positives. My decision to come here is to find the enjoyment and play for a massive club. I didn’t have to think carefully about it – I just needed the enjoyment back.
“I couldn’t do it under a better manager than Brendan. He lets me express myself and gives me a job to do and then go out and play. He gives me confidence. I can’t even remember when I scored my last league goal before the weekend so that shows the confidence he gives me.”
Sinclair admitted he “couldn’t have asked for a better start” after enjoying a scoring debut less than 24 hours after concluding his transfer.
“I didn’t think I was going to be involved in the squad,” he added. “I literally had three hours’ sleep on the Friday. My agent rang me late at night and said I had to get up to Glasgow now. I had to pack all my stuff. It was a bit of a rush but then the manager asked me if I was fit to play and be part of the squad. I didn’t look back from there. Once I am settled, happy and stable in playing football again then that’s when hopefully the Celtic fans will see the best of me.”
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