Scott Sinclair dodges Rangers troll of Joey Barton as Celtic hero offers 'simple' explainer for bosses derby humbling

Celtic favourite Scott Sinclair admits he hasn't plucked up the courage yet to bring up Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton's derby day humbling during his ill-fated spell at Rangers.

Barton arrived at Ibrox in bullish form when he named himself as the 'best player' in the Scottish Premiership upon his move to Rangers in May 2016. However, poor performances and struggles at the club marred his tenure, which culminated in his contract being terminated in the midst of a training ground argument with Andy Halliday before he returned to Burnley in January.

Sinclair arrived at Celtic during the same window under Brendan Rodgers in 2016 after falling out of favour at Aston Villa, and tore up the Scottish Premiership with 40 league goals in just 105 league games under the Northern Irishman and latterly Neil Lennon. After helping the club to the famous 'Treble Treble' and an Invincible season during his debut campaign, he is well remembered by fans in the east end of Glasgow.

But the former rivals are back together in English League One where Barton is now boss at Rovers. Sinclair, 33, kickstarted his career at the Memorial Stadium and has helped steer the club clear of relegation danger since his arrival.

Despite being a key figure at the club, Sinclair admits he still has yet to bring up the 5-1 hammering Celtic dished out during Barton's Old Firm debut. Speaking to The Daily Mail, the winger said: "We did play against him once. I think it might have been the 5-1. I haven't mentioned it yet. I might keep that quiet. We were better than them at the time, simple as that."

Sinclair added that his time at Celtic had been the best of his career as he talked up the historic 'Treble Treble' achievement. He stated: '(It's) Probably the