Celtic winger Scott Sinclair has said he never doubted his ability to win back his spot in Brendan Rodgers' team.

At the offset of this season the Englishman found himself dropped temporarily by Rodgers as the manager sought to spark the Hoops' attacking play into life.

Previously, Sinclair had been one of Celtic's key performers, starring as the club clinched a Double Treble across his first two seasons in Glasgow.

After his spell out, the 29-year-old came off the bench to star as the champions thrashed Hearts to reach the League Cup final and he has held onto his jersey since.

Sinclair, who has started the last five games, never questioned whether he'd force his way back in.

He said: "I just had to bide my time, I knew I'd get another chance to get back in the team.

"Now I'm back in, it's up to me to keep performing, which I think I have done.

"It's a phase when you have to dig deep, it shows your mental strength.

"It's a period I've been through a hell of a lot, I just grind in and give 100 per cent until my time comes to get back on the pitch.

"I've always had a fight on my hands since I came here.

"I'm never complacent, I have to keep going and make sure I stay in the team."

Sinclair was linked with a move back down south whilst he found himself warming the bench with the Hoops.

The attacker said he the thought of exiting Celtic never crossed his mind.

"That never entered my head, I love being here," he added.

"It was the best season ever for me when I first arrived and the second season was just as good.

"Just because I went through a sticky patch, I'm not all of a sudden wanting to leave because I didn't play in a couple of games.

"I'm back in the team and looking forward to another final on Sunday."