What happened to the Plymouth Argyle loanee compared to Cristiano Ronaldo at 17? | OneFootball

Steve Claridge once compared Scott Sinclair to Cristiano Ronaldo at 17, but he wasn't right, with the winger without a club for the 2026/2027 season.

There are plenty of players over the years that haven't quite hit the heights that were originally set for them, which goes for EFL players as well.

Whether it be due to a lack of consistency, or just simply struggling at a club, there are many reasons as to why a player might find it tough to reach their full potential.

One player that fits these criteria is Scott Sinclair, who had shown real promise as a youngster, but struggled to kick on and move further up the football pyramid.

In his column for The Guardian back in 2007, Steve Claridge issued high praise for Sinclair whilst he was on loan with Plymouth Argyle at the age of 17, and made the bold claim in suggesting that he saw similarities in Sinclair's game to that of Cristiano Ronaldo after a stunning solo goal against Barnet in the FA Cup, as well as a strong showing against Watford recently.

"You can see a little of Cristiano Ronaldo in his play. He is comfortable on either foot, attacks people at real pace and can go either way. Like the Manchester United winger, he benefits from incredibly quick feet and is as pacey with the ball as without it. Against Watford in the FA Cup sixth round he was such a threat that the visitors were forced to change personnel to combat him.

"His attitude was fantastic, getting goal-side and doubling up on his opponent, helping his full-back out and, in turn, showing a facet of his character that suggests this boy has a chance. That, as far as I'm concerned, was as important as witnessing the obvious ability that he has."

Sinclair catches the eye whilst out on loan

Sinclair moved to Plymouth on loan from Chelsea in 2007, in what was his first loan spell away from Stamford Bridge. He caught the eye for all the right reasons, although he found it tough to build on those impressive showings for Argyle in future temporary spells away from Home Park.

Loan spells with QPR, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, and Wigan Athletic followed for Sinclair, although he struggled to replicate the sort of performances that heightened interest in his services originally.

With minutes at Chelsea nowhere near what he would have been after, Sinclair moved to Swansea City in 2010 in a deal that was worth a sizeable amount for a Championship club.

It paid off though, as the winger scored 36 goals in 91 appearances in all competitions for the Swans, which included 27 goals in their promotion-winning campaign in Sinclair's first year with the club.

Man City move didn't pay off

Those impressive showings for Swansea didn't go unnoticed though, as the Bath-born winger moved to Manchester City for a fee rumoured to be in the region of £8m.

Sinclair made just 19 appearances for Manchester City, and failed to register a goal or assist during that time, which will have been frustrating for the winger at the time, who gained plenty of plaudits in the earlier stages of his career.

A brief spell with Aston Villa followed, before he moved to Scottish giants, Celtic, in a move which reignited Sinclair's career. He was named PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year, as well as the SFWA Footballer of the Year, in a memorable first season, where he scored 25 goals in all competitions for the Bhoys, as well as winning three Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup titles in his first three seasons with the club.

What is Scott Sinclair up to nowadays?

Sinclair was most recently on the books with Bristol Rovers whilst they were in League One, and was club captain for the 2024/25 season, which ultimately ended in frustration, as they were relegated into the fourth-tier of English football.

The winger departed the club at the end of that league campaign, and has been a free-agent since then, and it remains to be seen if or when he'll call time on his playing career, as Sinclair is now 37-years-old.

Sinclair featured briefly for Micah Richards' Baller League team, although in terms of a professional club, he'll be keen to have his future resolved at the earliest of opportunities.

He's not quite lived up to the expectation of Steve Claridge's bold comparison of him to Cristiano Ronaldo, who has gone on to be one of the most successful players in football.