Ever since he joined Swansea in August 2010, Scott Sinclair has flourished. The fee of an initial £500,000 spent by Brendan Rogers to acquire the young Englishman must be seen as money well spent now, as just over a year down the line he has become a major factor in the club’s success. But how far can Sinclair go, and what should his ambitions be now that he is beginning to prove himself as a talented Premier League player?
After representing England at every level from under-17 to under-21, it is clear that the now 22 year old winger has a lot of ability and is highly regarded as a hot prospect. He played a huge role in helping Swansea City gain promotion to the Premier League last season, scoring 27 goals in all competitions from 50 appearances. He has continued his form into 2011/12, with 3 goals so far and some eye-catching performances in a team that has impressed in their attacking and attractive football.
After being moved out to a number of clubs on loan during his time at Chelsea, he may have been forgiven for taking a bit of time to settle into a club and finding his feet at the level Swansea were aiming for. But he showed consistency and commitment throughout the 2010/11 season, right up to the final push where he fittingly scored a hat-trick in the Championship play-off final at Wembley, proving somewhat that he has the character and ability to perform when it really matters. This season will be different, as Swansea find themselves in the Premier division for the first time in nearly 30 years, it may not be all goals and glory.
However, alongside what can be described as an attacking force behind the striker, comprised of Sinclair teamed with Nathan Dyer and Joe Allen, Swansea have looked dangerous and shown the ability to trouble Premier League defences. The pace and skill provided by the two wingers is a great weapon to have, and pulls the defence away, leaving them the opportunity to play quick, counter-attacking football when necessary. The way Sinclair has formed a somewhat formidable attacking combination here is testament to how well Brendan Rogers has organised the side. He’s got them playing their own style of football week after week, giving players like Scott every chance to combine with the front men easily and chip in with goals as well as assists.
Providing Swansea stay up this season, the question remains as to where Sinclair’s ambitions lie. It seems right to assume for the time being that he is focused on his efforts to push the Swans upwards and keep building on what he started last year. But if he carries his form through the next couple of years, he will undoubtedly attract attention from bigger clubs. At some point he may find that he needs to move on to one of these teams if he is to progress as a footballer and challenge himself at the top level. When he played as a youngster at Chelsea, you could see that he had the potential to become a quality player, but the path for him to get there was unclear. Now that he is back in the Premiership, performing well, he may soon be eyeing a way to make that route to the top more a reality.
If his passion and energy for the game continues to grow, then I see no reason why Scott can’t put himself in contention for an international call-up in the future. He has all the attributes required of a top-class winger, and after a couple of seasons in the Premiership, he way well affirm himself as one of the best in the country. It’s never easy to burst onto the scene and announce yourself as one of the poster-boys for Premiership football, but considering where Sinclair was a few seasons ago, the world is his oyster right now.
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