Darts keep Scott and Kieran at the double
THE curious case of Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham famously showed that even the best of enemies off the field can combine to quite devastating effect on it.
But if the fact those two strikers never uttered so much as a word to each other during their time with Manchester United and England was no barrier to success, there are many who still maintain that the nurturing of a brotherly bond between teammates is pretty much essential.
Occasionally, of course, there is no need to force the issue through days and nights out to karting, kayaking and the like. Team-mates and partners do just find a natural common ground.
In Kieran Tierney and Scott Sinclair, Celtic’s left side is the envy of any club in the land.
Blessed with pace and skill, the pair have an understanding that stems from natural football intelligence. Yet if their friendship off the field, or more accurately on the oche, has helped it reach telepathic levels, then Sinclair feels it can only help the team continue to hit its own targets this season.
‘I think KT is a great young player and I’m happy that he’s back,’ said Sinclair after Tierney made his return from injury in the 3-0 Scottish Cup victory over Albion Rovers on Sunday.
‘We both know each other’s game inside out, so it’s great for the both of us and for the team that he’s back in.
‘We have a good relationship off the pitch, as well. We play darts now and then and we get on so well. You can see that on the pitch.’
You would scarcely have them down as two titans of tungsten. But while Michael van Gerwen won’t be shaking in his boots quite yet, a few throws of the arrows in the players’ lounge at Lennoxtown is clearly doing them no harm. So who’s winning?
‘At the moment, I can’t say...’ laughed Sinclair. ‘Okay, at the moment, he’s a couple of games up! It started as a bit of banter in training and, when we finished one day, we ended up playing darts after lunch. His arm is better now, so he’s improving!’
It says much about the overall improvement in Celtic under Brendan Rodgers that the side have continued to sweep all before them this season despite Tierney being sidelined with ankle ligament damage over the past three months.
A man who knows how high the bar is set for full-backs south of the border, Sinclair feels the 19-year-old does not have a single weakness in his game.
‘Kieran can be as good as he wants to be,’ said the former Aston Villa man. ‘He’s playing at such a young age and, for any young player, when you are playing week in, week out, you can show your attributes and your quality. He’s been doing that and he can only get better.
‘He is definitely a very grounded kid and I’m sure he’s going to keep improving and enjoying his football.’
It was a combination between the pair that broke Albion’s resolve on Sunday. Sensing nothing was on, the Scot played a simple infield pass which allowed the Englishman to execute an extraordinary strike.
That it took 30 minutes for Celtic to make the breakthrough against the League One side was of credit to the organisation of Darren Young’s side. ‘It was a game that required patience,’ added Sinclair. ‘We knew it was going to be tough. The way they set up was a credit to them for doing it well, but it was up to us to break it down.
‘We did that in the first half where we should have put the game to bed. But we kept going and we got the win.
‘The way they got men behind the ball and kept their structure meant it was difficult for us to create chances, but it’s great that we did that and we got the win to take us into the next round.’
Sinclair has long since exposed Villa’s folly in releasing him for just £3million. The winger has amply demonstrated that, not only is he a Champions League quality player at that price, he also has the heart and stomach for more mundane assignments like the one ticked off on Sunday.
Some 13 goals in an injuryinterrupted season is already a very healthy return.
‘For me, it’s just about being consistent,’ he explained. ‘When I first came here, I wasn’t just going to score one week and then not score for another four games.
‘The most important thing for me is to be consistent throughout the whole season. I feel much sharper now.
‘I’ve had a nice break, as everyone else has had, and I’m going into the second half of the season feeling much better and ready to go again and try to score more goals than I did in the first part of the league.’
An injury sustained in the home defeat to Barcelona deprived him of a place on the winner’s podium in November’s League Cup Final. Ensuring Celtic are back there when the finale of the Scottish Cup dawns in May is a clear objective.
‘I’m here and I want to win as much as I can,’ he said. ‘It’s great that we can keep continuing to win our games.’