Joey Barton lauded the performance of "phenomenal player" Scott Sinclair after he scored the winner for Bristol Rovers against Peterborough United on Saturday.
Sinclair's 53rd-minute finish settled the contest in a 1-0 win over Posh at the Mem, and the 33-year-old – who returned to his boyhood club last month –celebrated jubilantly in front of the Thatchers Terrace.
It was Sinclair's second winning goal since his return after netting against Rochdale in the FA Cup, and everyone of a blue and white persuasion is desperate for the winger to stay beyond the expiry of his short-term contract in January.
"That’s the beauty of being able to add a phenomenal professional and a phenomenal player in Scotty Sinclair to our group," Barton said.
"His finish today was exceptional, but not only that, I thought his all-round performance was first-class.
"He’s been great, he has been a real breath of fresh air. Scotty hasn’t come in and put all his trophies and medals and achievements there. He’s come in and he’s knuckled down and got stuck in with the lads.
"They love him as a person in the dressing room and the Gasheads now have seen somebody who they can resonate with in the team, a superstar in the Gas’ history, but he’s come back now to enjoy the Indian summer of being north of 30.
"If he carries on in the vein he has in the early part, the best is yet to come from Scott."
Sinclair was tasked with playing at right wing-back on Saturday and the former Celtic and Manchester City man was up for the challenge. He offered Rovers a consistent outlet and threatened several times before he eventually found the back of the net.
This was his first 90-minute outing since joining the Gas in October; excellent signs for Barton as Sinclair builds his fitness levels, and it has been obvious in his six appearances of this second spell with Rovers that he remains a high-class player at this level.
Barton believes Sinclair's impact in BS7 has been huge and multi-faceted. Not only is he shining on the pitch, but he has made a big impression on his teammates.
"It’s the lads knowing they can pass to him and they just know there is a calmness," Barton said. "His close control, his weight of pass, the way he loans the ball to other players, you always want good players in your team because they radiate calmness.
"I remember Elliot Anderson last year, he just radiated confidence out, and certainly Scott has since he’s come into the starting XI.
"Today, I had to speak to him and I said ‘We’ve brought you in to play a more offensive role, but this is how we’re going to play it’ and he’s like ‘Yeah, great’. He just loves playing football.
"He’s a real privilege to coach. He just turns up with a big smile on his face, great teammate, even when he’s not in the team. In the early part, he’s encouraging the people around him, coaching Bobby Thomas and the younger players into position.
"For me as a coach, we’ve been lucky with Paul Coutts and Glenn Whelan, but to add another player who has got an incredible career, who’s been an incredible professional who has scored a play-off final hat-trick. That’s worth £100million.
"He’s just got that composure and that has radiated out into the people who are close to him in the game."
The obvious question for Barton in every press conference after Sinclair plays is his contractual situation, with the expiry of his deal edging closer. The manager hopes and believes he will be here for the long haul.
"He loves it here, you can see in his celebration when he scores the goal," Barton responded. "He’s scored for Celtic and for some big fanbases, but you saw what it means to him.
"We didn’t sign Scotty, Scotty wanted to come and play here, so we’re hoping that doesn’t change. He’s enjoying his footy and you can see in the way he’s been playing.
"He’s living in the area and he’s from Bath, seeing his family, they are all things he hasn’t been able to do because he’s had such a fantastic career.
"We want him to stay and I don’t see any reason for that changing other than somebody who’s bigger than us with a lot more money than us coming and making a play at him. None of us will begrudge him another shot at top-flight football, but also he’s got a chance here to do something he’s wanted to do for his whole life, which is be a phenomenal, legendary-type player at Rovers and lead the club to places it hasn’t been before.
"I’m hoping he stays for two, three or four years and we go on an incredible journey together and Scott scores a hat-trick in a play-off final to take us into the Premier League. He’s done it for Swansea, he might as well do it for the Gas, he’s a Gashead."
SIGN UP: To receive our free Rovers newsletter, bringing you the latest from the Mem
READ NEXT:
