SCOTT Sinclair has packed a lot into his career but playing in a cup final is something he is yet to experience. He will almost certainly - and belatedly - get that chance when Celtic take on Aberdeen for the William Hill Scottish Cup on Saturday.
Sinclair has been unfortunate on previous occasions. He was on the fringes of the Manchester City squad and had just undergone a shoulder operation when Wigan shocked Roberto Mancini’s side in the 2013 FA Cup final. He was at least stripped for that same final two years on but, despite his Aston Villa side being thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal, Sinclair wasn’t called upon from the bench.
Even this season his cup final lucked hasn’t changed for the better. A key figure in the first half of the campaign, a hamstring injury meant he missed out on Celtic collecting their first trophy of the season when Aberdeen were beaten 3-0 in the Betfred League Cup final. He can surely be forgiven for avoiding black cats and ladders over the next six days.
Read more: Brendan Rodgers hails Celtic's Invincibles achievement as "once in a lifetime"
"My last final was the FA Cup final with Villa but when you are not playing, it's different to when you play a massive part,” he recalled. “I wasn’t there when City played Wigan and the other time in England goes back to Swansea, so long ago, but that was a promotion [play-off final].
“It was so disappointing to miss the League Cup final this year. It had been so many years since I played in a cup final that to miss that one was disappointing. I enjoyed the day anyway because I had played a massive part in the lead-up to the final. When you’re not playing it’s disappointing but I’m happy we won it.”
Most neutrals will be rooting for an Aberdeen win to end Celtic’s dominance of the Scottish game, something Sinclair takes as a compliment.
“It just goes to show how well we have done as a team,” he said. “It hasn't been done before - an invincible treble - which means something is working in the team and with the manager. We can go back, years and years, and talk about the Larssons and all these big names and they didn't even do it, so it would be a massive achievement. But we haven't done it yet. We need to keep going and hopefully we can make history.”
It will be a first Scottish Cup final appearance, too, for his manager Brendan Rodgers. As a Celtic supporter growing up in Northern Ireland, Rodgers remembers watching these occasions on television.
“My big thing with the Scottish Cup final growing up was that it was on the same day and at the same time as the FA Cup final,” he recalled. “If Celtic were in it, I'd watch the Scottish Cup final and if they weren't, I'd watch the FA Cup.
“At that time, it might have been Man United, Arsenal or Liverpool and there was always an Irish contingent. But if Celtic were playing, I'd be watching them.
“My brothers didn't argue with me as I was the oldest! My dad might have watched the FA Cup final so I'd have to go to the pub to see Celtic. That's where I watched the Dundee United final in 1985, which was my favourite. I remember coming out and Man United had won the FA Cup thanks to Norman Whiteside's winner against Everton when he was only 17.
“I remember that clearly. Celtic had won a dramatic final then I came out and a Northern Irishman had won it at Wembley with a great finish.”
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