Scott Sinclair cedits performance coach after Celtic's title win

Scott Sinclair paid tribute to performance coach Jag Shoker after helping to seal Celtic's Premiership title win with a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

Scott Sinclair celebrates at Tynecastle
Published 3rd Apr 2017

The 28-year-old attacker approached motivational speaker and self-help author Shoker, when he was drifting at Aston Villa.

Sinclair moved to Parkhead last summer in a ÂŁ3.5million move to join up with boss Brendan Rodgers whom he worked under at Swansea City.

The former Manchester City player scored the winner coming off the bench at Tynecastle on his debut last August and showed his quality again on his return to Gorgie on Sunday.

Two fine first-half finishes came before a late penalty which took his tally to 21 for the season, with Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts also getting on the scoresheet.

Celtic are unbeaten domestically this season, winning 28 league games and drawing two as they look to complete the domestic treble and Sinclair could not be happier at the way his career is back on track.

He said: "I had a mental coach for six months and his name is Jag Shoker.

"This is going back about a year ago and he helped me change my mental state and how I was feeling and he has shifted that to get me performing again.

"He is not a psychologist, get that straight. He is a sports coach. He tells you little things that can change the way you are thinking going into games.

"He had come to Villa for a weeks before and I got his number and did my own thing. I had six months of that and then I moved up here.

"I was always looked to better myself and ask what I was doing wrong.

"I went through a stage of two or three years not really showing what I have got, and people questioned my ability.

"I was playing for Villa one week then come on for 20 minutes and we would take the clips of the game and we would talk about how I felt at certain times and it was a slight shift that helped me.

"He always texted me to say how much of a change there has been. We always speak.

"You get to a stage in your career where you've signed a contract and then you think about what you actually want out the game.

"For me, I want to enjoy playing football and playing every week under a manager who gives me that belief and confidence.

"I am back scoring and doing as well as I can and the last time that happened was probably five or six years ago at Swansea."