Trevor Sinclair

Sinclair was born in Dulwich, London, but grew up in Manchester.[2][3] He began his career at Blackpool where he played from 1989 to 1993. When he made his debut for Blackpool, on 19 August 1989, he became the club's youngest ever player, at 16 years, five months, breaking Colin Greenall's record set nine years earlier. Sinclair's record was in turn broken by Matty Kay in November 2006.

Sinclair was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006.[4] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Sinclair is in the 1990s.[5]

He made 112 league appearances for the Seasiders, scoring 15 goals.

In 1993, Sinclair moved to Queens Park Rangers for £600,000, a figure which broke Blackpool's record transfer sale. He won the October 1995 Premier League Player of the Month award, although he was unable to prevent QPR from being relegated from the Premier League that season. Throughout the 1995-96 season, Sinclair's name was constantly linked with a move to several of the Premier League's leading clubs, namely Leeds United, Manchester United and Newcastle United - with fees of up to £6million being mentioned.[6]

In May 1997, he won the BBC's Match of the Day "Goal of the Season" competition with a bicycle kick from outside the penalty area whilst playing for QPR in an FA Cup match against Barnsley.[7]

In five years at QPR, he made 168 league appearances, scoring 16 goals.

In January 1998, Sinclair moved to West Ham United for a combined fee of £2.3 million; £2.7 million minus West Ham players Iain Dowie and Keith Rowland moving to Q.P.R as part of the deal.[8] He scored seven goals in the remaining 14 games to help West Ham achieve an eighth-place finish in the Premier League. He was a regular over the next two seasons, but a serious knee injury ruled him out of the final four months of the 2000–01 season. His absence coincided with a loss of form for the team, and by the end of the season manager Harry Redknapp had been sacked. Sinclair recovered in time for the 2001–02 season and featured 34 times, often on the left wing, as he won his bid to play at the World Cup for England in that position.

2002–03 was Sinclair's final season with West Ham. They were relegated at the end of the season. Forced to cut costs, West Ham accepted a £3.3m bid for the player from Manchester City.

In total Sinclair spent five years at Upton Park, playing in a variety of positions including wingback,[9] left and right wing and as a striker when called upon.[10] He made 177 league appearances and scored 37 goals including two goals on his West Ham debut, on 31 January 1998, in a 2–2 home draw against Everton.

After West Ham's relegation, Sinclair joined Manchester City in 2003 for £3.3 million, and went on to score City's first competitive goal at the new City of Manchester Stadium in a UEFA Cup tie against Welsh side Total Network Solutions.[11]

At the beginning of his career at Manchester City, he played on the left wing, where he had performed for England at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. However, the departure of Shaun Wright-Phillips presented the opportunity for Sinclair to play on his preferred right wing.

Sinclair was released by Manchester City at the end of the 2006–07 season.[12]

On 10 July 2007, he joined Championship club, Cardiff City.[13] He began the season as a first-team player, scoring his first Cardiff goal on 24 September in a 4–2 win in the League Cup over West Bromwich Albion.[14] Early on in the season, he suffered from a buildup of fluid in his knee and underwent two operations on the injury which ruled him out until mid-February. He made his return on 16 February 2008 coming on as a late substitute in a 2–0 FA Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

On 12 April 2008, Sinclair faced his first club, Blackpool, for the first time since leaving them fifteen years earlier.[15][16] He scored Cardiff's second goal in a 3–1 win; however, he refused to celebrate his goal.[17] On 17 May he made an 86th-minute substitute appearance in the 2008 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, which Cardiff lost 1–0 to Portsmouth. However, four days later it was announced that his contract would not be renewed for the forthcoming season and he was released.[18]

On 21 February 2018, he joined North West Counties Football Premier League club Squires Gate at the age of 44 after a 2014–15 season at Lancaster City.[19]

In January 1999, Sinclair was convicted of causing criminal damage to a car, following a night of drinking with other West Ham players at the club's Christmas party in Romford.[28]

In November 2017, Sinclair was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, common assault and criminal damage after a woman was hit by a car in Lytham St Annes.[29] On 2 January 2018, Sinclair was convicted of drink driving, urinating in a police car and racially abusing a police officer by calling him a 'white cunt'.[30] He was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work, disqualified from driving for 20 months and ordered to pay £500 compensation to the abused police officer.[31] Following this conviction, he was subsequently fired from his role as a BBC pundit.[32]

Following the death of Elizabeth II, Sinclair tweeted asking why "black and brown" people should mourn.[33] His comments were met with widespread condemnation, including that of his fellow TalkSPORT colleague Simon Jordan.[34] TalkSPORT subsequently announced that Sinclair would not be featured on air at the station whilst an investigation into the tweet was carried out.[35] Sinclair returned from his suspension in January 2023.[36]