SCOTT Sinclair felt that he passed up enough chances to score a hat-trick for Celtic in the Betfred Cup semi-final win over Rangers on Sunday - so he has made that his objective for his next outing in the competition.
Netting three goals against Aberdeen in the final at Hampden next month may seem like an overly ambitious target for the winger despite his consistent performances since arriving in Glasgow in the summer.
But the £3 million signing, whose misses proved irrelevant when Moussa Dembele netted a late winner at the weekend, has certainly performed such heroics in the past.
“The last final I played in was the Championship play-off with Swansea in 2011,” he said. “We beat Reading 4-2 to get promoted and I did manage to score a hat-trick that day. If I could do that again, that would be great.
“But that was five years ago now, so it’s great for me individually to be back in a final and it’s great for the club. I came here to win things and if we can get a bit of silverware before Christmas, it will let us build on that. It’s great for me if I can come to Celtic and win things and I’m sure all the new boys will stay the same.”
Sinclair added: “It was a great win over Rangers and we are happy to be through to the final. It was one of those games for us and certainly myself. Since I’ve been here, I don’t know if I’ve had so many chances in one game. They wouldn’t go in for me, but we got the winner in the end.
“I could have had a hat-trick on another day. I believe that. I had so many chances and in any other game, I could have put them all away. But I need to move on. I need to keep getting those chances and hopefully the next time I do score them.”
Brendan Rodgers was in charge when Swansea clinched promotion to the Barclays Premier League in England five years ago and Sinclair believes he has to take enormous credit for the success which Celtic have enjoyed so far this season.
The 27-year-old revealed that the Irishman’s desire for the Parkhead cub to succeed in every competition they are involved in has rubbed off on his players.
“The winning mentality is the big thing the manager has given the squad,” he said. "No matter whether it’s the League Cup or Champions League, he wants to win every game. He’s instilled that in every one of the players and you can see that out on the pitch.
“We are fighting for each other out on the pitch, we are winning the ball back and creating chances. There’s a great atmosphere around the club and I’m just enjoying being here. It’s the best.
“When you win games and have a great team spirit, it just makes it all more enjoyable. There is a real togetherness in this squad, we all have each other’s back and I’m enjoying being here.”
Celtic, who take on Ross County in the Ladbrokes Premiership in Dingwall tomorrow, are in the middle of a punishing run of matches, but Sinclair, who had fallen out of favour at Aston Villa last season, is relishing being involved in the first team on a regular basis.
“I am enjoying the schedule and all the big games every few days, definitely,” he said. “It’s great for me because I was out of regular first-team football for so long. It’s great to get back in and play Saturday-Wednesday, Saturday-Wednesday all the time. It’s perfect for me and I am loving every minute of it.
“It was a tough period for me at Villa. I was in and out of the team and as an offensive player, it wasn’t easy. We were struggling as a team and when you do go in, you can’t really show your attributes.
“I’m showing everything now. I’m scoring goals and creating chances and that’s because I am in an attacking team that always plays on the front foot. Game by game, I’m getting my form back and building my confidence.
“A lot of people in England just focus on the English Premier League. But I felt in the summer that the time was right for me to come to Celtic and get my career back on track again. That’s what I am doing now.”
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