Sinclair hoping for more good memories at Tyencastle
Scott Sinclair is eager to wrap up the title at the place where his Celtic career got off to a flying start.
Scott Sinclair is eager to wrap up the title at the place where his Celtic career got off to a flying start.
The winger came off the bench to score a late winner at Tynecastle in August on the same weekend he completed his move from Aston Villa.
Neither Sinclair nor Celtic have looked back since. The former Swansea and Manchester City player has now scored 15 goals and Celtic have only dropped four points in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
Celtic can clinch their sixth title in a row in their next game, against Hearts on April 2, and could even have it in the bag before their trip to Edinburgh, if Aberdeen lose at Dundee.
Sinclair said: "For me, coming on and scoring the winner, I've got good memories there, so hopefully I can make more good memories by winning the title there.
"It seems such a long time ago now. I wasn't too sure if I was going to be making the bench, it was so fast. I literally had the scans and before I knew it I was on the bench. I wasn't really thinking I was going to be involved and came on and scored the winner.
"I couldn't have written it any better. It was great to hit the ground running.''
The 27-year-old has maintained the momentum from that day to put some frustrating spells in Manchester and Birmingham behind him.
"That's the main thing, when you are playing every week you can build on each game,'' he said. "It's so difficult when you have the odd two games and you're out for three and then you are back in for three.
"For me, it was getting that stability of game time. I have had that and you can see that on the pitch. I'm happy, I am scoring goals, I am creating, we are winning games. That just goes to show.''
Sinclair feels he has improved as a player since moving to Scotland and reviving his working relationship with former Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers.
"Definitely,'' he said. "The main thing with us players is getting form. For the past couple of years my form hasn't really been there and I haven't really been stable, playing every week.
"Once I am playing every week I can show my qualities, show I can score goals and create. From now until the end of the season, I just want to keep going.''
Sinclair was promoting Celtic's 50th anniversary celebrations of their European Cup triumph, which include a Sir Rod Stewart-headlined show at Glasgow's Hydro venue on May 25, while most of his team-mates were on international duty.
But the former England Under-21 international hopes he can follow in their footsteps by playing for his country.
"I haven't given up on it,'' he said. "All I can do is concentrate on myself, playing well, which I'm doing. I have got my form back and hopefully one day it will come.
"The best opportunity is to be playing Champions League football so hopefully we can qualify and get through to the group stages.''