PLAYED FOR BOTH: FRANK SINCLAIR

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Ahead of Saturday's match with Chelsea we caught up with the former Clarets and Chelsea defender

2023-10-05T19:00:00.000Z

PLAYED FOR BOTH: FRANK SINCLAIR

Ahead of Saturday's match with Chelsea we caught up with the former Clarets and Chelsea defender

2023-10-05T19:00:00.000Z

SINCLAIR EXCITED TO BE WORKING WITH CLUB’S YOUNGSTERS - Image 2

After spending a large part of his career in the Premier League with Chelsea and Leicester City, former Clarets captain Frank Sinclair was happy to take on the challenge at Turf Moor on the back of his relationship with Steve Cotterill.

In the summer of 2004, Cotterill took over the reins at Burnley after the six-year reign of Stan Ternent, but faced a rebuild, coming into a club with only eight contracted senior players. Sinclair was one of the first people he turned to, having worked together at Leicester City, in testing circumstances.

“The move originally came about because I worked with Steve Cotterill at Leicester before he became Burnley manager,” said Frank. “I had a decent relationship with him. I was out of contract at Leicester searching for a new one and Steve Cotterill sold the club to me. My responsibility was to help the younger players and to improve the football club. I signed in the August but by Christmas I was to wear the armband for 18 months. I was really proud, I enjoyed my time there, and I learned to live up north. I’m a London boy, but I loved working for the people I worked for.”

PLAYED FOR BOTH: FRANK SINCLAIR - Image 1

Sinclair helped Chelsea end a wait of over 20 years to play in a major Wembley Cup final, and then three years later on win a trophy at the famous venue. He made his Chelsea debut aged 19 and went on to have a very lengthy career and list of clubs and was still playing into his 40s, but it was with Chelsea and Leicester City where he looks back on his playing career with great pride.

“It was a dream come true really. I was a local lad living only a couple of miles away from Stamford Bridge. I grew up very aware of Chelsea Football Club. By the age of 11, I was a schoolboy playing for the club and went through all of the age groups, right up to 16 before getting a two-year scholarship. Everything I wanted to do as a kid growing up was based around football and to become a professional for a club as big as Chelsea was still a big honour for me.

“Nine years as a professional, winning trophies, and we won the FA Cup for the first time in over 30 years. Then there was the Cup Winners Cup in 1998 and scoring in the League Cup final which was another dream achieved. Every kid wants to play at Wembley when they are growing up but to score at Wembley was fantastic.

PLAYED FOR BOTH: FRANK SINCLAIR - Image 2

“In my first full season, I won the Player of the Year, Supporters’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year so from there it was always going to be a challenge to keep standards up.

“When Glenn Hoddle came to the club he took us to a different level which was followed by Ruud Guillit who was then followed by Gianluca Vialli, who saw a transition from a decent top 10 Premier League club to becoming the club that they are now. What they have done is win trophies on a regular basis so to see that was absolutely fantastic for me.”

Sinclair will be an interested observer when Chelsea visit the Turf this weekend as both of his former clubs hope to build on their impressive Premier League wins earlier in the week.

“Burnley had a difficult spell being relegated but are now looking like they are going from strength to strength. I watched them a lot last season. It will be interesting to see how they attack this season. I hope they can survive in the league. It will be a tough first season for Vincent Kompany but one I think the football club will go on and survive in the league.

“For Chelsea, there is a definite transition in the football club, a new manager, and a lot of young players being recruited to the club. There’s probably going to be around 12-18 months of transition but when you look at those players and the progression they are going to have, I can only see Chelsea going from strength to strength.”