Sinclair ignores doctor for his Wembley dream

Mar 29 2008 by Steve Tucker, Western Mail

TREVOR SINCLAIR is defying his surgeon’s advice to play on for Cardiff City in the hope of fulfilling a childhood dream of lifting an FA Cup winner’s medal.

Sinclair, who turned 35 this month, has been there and done that in a career which has taken in the World Cup with England, Premiership thrills and a goal of the season win just for good measure.

After arriving at Ninian Park from Manchester City in the summer, Sinclair looked to be bedding into the Bluebirds side well until an old knee injury flared up and he had to go under the knife once more.

He has now battled back to fitness and due to manager Dave Jones’ injury crisis could well find himself starting at right-back against Southampton at Ninian Park today.

And, ahead of that clash, Sinclair revealed in the darker moments this season he feared his career was over and it was only his love of the game and a certain date with destiny at Wembley which has kept him going.

“At the start of the season I was enjoying my football. I was feeling comfortable here. Then my knee blew up and I needed a couple of operations to sort that problem out.” said Sinclair, who ended up missing more than three months of action.

“It was a bit touch and go because it could have been the end of my career. For the last three or four years when I have seen my surgeon he has said I should consider calling it a day.

“He told me, ‘Listen Trevor, you should start thinking about retirement. You have got a young family. You don’t want to be walking around with a stick or limping around. You want to be enjoying yourself.’

“But what else can I do? I love playing football. It is my life and if I leave football now I have just got quite a boring time to look forward to. I just want to play on as long as I can. Achieve things for as long as I can.

“And while I am enjoying it I don’t see why I should adhere to what the surgeon is saying. I wanted to play on and Cardiff were very supportive. That gave me the inspiration to carry on.

“I finally got fit, it was quite a hard task, but I got there and my knee feels fine now. I’m enjoying football, enjoying South Wales and enjoying being a part of the great cup run this club has had and hopefully we can take that one step further.”

In an impressive career Sinclair has been capped by England 12 times, including four appearances at the World Cup in Japan in 2002 where ironically injury handed him a chance which he grabbed with both hands.

Spells in the top flight with QPR, West Ham and Manchester City included a goal of the season win in 1997 for his spectacular overhead effort against Barnsley in the FA Cup.

He is not promising similar heroics against the Tykes when the Bluebirds face them at Wembley in the semi-finals next weekend, but, with major honours having eluded him, Sinclair is hopeful of at least playing some part on the club’s big day.

But, as they say, with maturity comes wisdom and Sinclair has things clearly in perspective, adding, “ I think I am at the time of my career now where I am a total team player. I would like to think I would play a part at Wembley, but if I am not going to start I won’t be knocking on the gaffer’s door ranting and raving.

“At Wembley, if I am playing then great, if I am on the bench, I will be ready to play and be supportive, but if I am not on the bench, I would be very disappointed.”

But before all that Cardiff face the visit of the Saints today and a rearranged clash with West Brom at Ninian Park on Tuesday night.

Jones faces a selection dilemma with full-back Kevin McNaughton not quite ready after a hamstring problem and his deputy, Darcy Blake, also out after suffering a groin pull while with away with the Welsh Under-21s.

Left-back Tony Capaldi faces a late fitness test on a back problem as does striker Warren Feeney with a calf complaint. Welsh international Joe Ledley is also a doubt, while striker Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink is still suspended.

Sinclair knows it is a situation which could hand him a route back into the side if in the relatively unfamiliar role of defender. Although if a career-threatening injury is not going to hold him back, a switch of position is certainly not going to pose a problem.

And, despite the Bluebirds currently lying seven points off the Championship play-off places with just eight games remaining, Sinclair insists the promotion push is still on.

“I’ve been fit for a while now, but just unable to get in the team through the good form the boys have been showing. We are fighting on two fronts,” added Sinclair.

“Of course there is the FA Cup, but promotion is still in our thoughts. We have done alright in recent times and, if we continue that form, maybe up it 10 per cent, we have got a real chance of the play-offs.

“We have to keep the form going. The gaffer’s been rotating more and more recently so hopefully I get a bit more playing time and we come up with the results we need.

“I will play anywhere, I’ve told the gaffer that. I can play all across the field I have even played up front so I can play just about anywhere.

“I will do my best. Against Hull a few weeks back, I probably played about 60 minutes at the back and I did OK. It did not feel completely comfortable because obviously it is slightly different. There are different responsibilities on your shoulders.

“But I must have done alright, though, because we kept a clean sheet after all.”