Scott Sinc-ing his teeth into Neil and Co’s Prem dream
SCOTT SINCLAIR has a point to prove at Preston – and Premier League promotion is the name of the game.
The former Chelsea, Manchester City and Swansea City wing-wizard joined the high-flying Lilywhites from Celtic in last month’s transfer window.
And having played a key role in the Hoops’ historic hat-trick of Treble successes, Sinclair, 30, is hoping to play an influential part in securing Preston their first season in the Premier League.
“There’s a lot of ambition at this club and that’s what made me move here,” said Sinclair.
“I had other offers but when I spoke to the manager Alex Neil, I liked where the club was heading.
“They’ve got some great players and I really do believe that we can push for promotion. It would be a massive achievement to get into the Premier League.”
And having tasted memorable success in Scotland at Celtic Park, it’s little wonder Sinclair is hungry to add more honours to his CV.
“Winning the treble-Treble with Celtic was really special,” said Sinclair. “There’s no better thing to do than make history for the club.
“I had an amazing three-and-a-half years at Celtic, winning everything up there and getting great support from the fans. That will always be such a proud time for me.
“A lot of people keep saying about the standard but when we did the treble-Treble it was the first time anyone’s ever done that.
“In that respect, the team and how we did it, is great. At the same time the football’s much different.
“I’d say even the Championship is different to the Premier League and the Championship is a tough league.
“The thing about the Championship is you can be top of the league playing bottom of the league and it doesn’t matter.
“Every team thinks they can beat anyone and you get lots of results some may say are strange. That’s what makes the league so tough.”
Sinclair (below) netted his debut goal for Preston in only his third start since moving back south of the border.
He is temporarily living in a hotel, while his wife – the TV star Helen Flanagan – is splitting time at her parents’ house nearby with the couple’s two young children.
The forward is embracing being a father and is ready to settle back into Lancashire life after stints in the north west at Manchester City and Wigan, in what could prove to be another fruitful spell in his much-travelled career.
He said: “When it’s just yourself and your missus moving around it’s okay but when you have kids you’ve got to think about schools and things like that.
“Once it all settles down and I get a house finalised then it’ll be perfect.”