SCOTT SINCLAIR was another reason for Brendan Rodgers to leave Murrayfield on Sunday with a huge grin on his face.
The Celtic boss introduced the English attacker as a substitute for Eboue Kouassi before the half-hour mark in the 3-0 Betfred League Cup semi-final triumph over Hearts.
And Sinclair, one of the Irishman’s first buys for the club when he arrived in a £4.5million deal from Aston Villa in August 2016, provided a scintillating performance, including stroking home the opening goal from the penalty spot.
The form of the former Manchester City attacker shaded in the early stages of the current campaign, but he provided a vital spark against the Tynecastle team on this crucial occasion.
Rodgers said: “Every player is a confidence player. When Scott came into the game he looked different class, but he’s a big-game player. He’s played in enough big games and shown up well.
“He was ready for this one, no matter when he came into it. As soon as he came on, he got at his man and took on from there.
“Scott looked a lot more like himself and it was great to see.”
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