Jerome Sinclair was once hailed as the next big thing at Liverpool and was even compared to Raheem Sterling, but his career has taken a very different path since
Sport
Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United battles with Jerome Sinclair of Liverpool during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match in 2016
Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United battles with Jerome Sinclair of Liverpool during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match in 2016
(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
A common pub quiz question that often stumps fans is: who is the youngest player to ever don a Liverpool jersey?
The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is Jerome Sinclair. Ring any bells? Liverpool's youngest ever player will return to the limelight on Monday evening when he takes part in the inaugural Baller League UK series shown live on Sky Sports.
Article continues below
The six-a-side competition, which rose to prominence in Germany before success in the United States, will kick start as 12 teams pit their wits against one another looking to win the Baller League crown. The 28-year-old is one of 144 players participating in the tournament, which is full of high profile names from the world of football, but what does Sinclair's story look like?
READ MORE: Arda Guler hits back at Dominik Szoboszlai as war of words with Liverpool man escalatesREAD MORE: Robbie Keane shows true colours after Liverpool snub as Reds star suffers injury blow
It began at West Bromwich Albion, before making the switch to Liverpool at just 14-years-old. He etched his name into the record books when, at the tender age of 16 years and 6 days, he substituted fellow youngster Samed Yesil in a 2-1 League Cup victory over Albion on September 26, 2012.
Although injury hampered his progress the following season, Sinclair bounced back with a vengeance, consistently finding the net for Liverpool's youth teams across various age groups. His impressive form caught the attention of then-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who predicted a bright future for the Anfield club thanks to talented Academy players like Sinclair.
After a stellar display for Liverpool U21s against Chelsea, which included a goal, Sinclair received glowing praise from Reds legend Jamie Carragher, who said: "It was an outstanding finish. He left the defender for dead and then showed great pace and composure on his weaker foot."
"Another member of this squad, Sheyi Ojo, has gone to Wigan on loan. That's the next step for Jerome. I think it's a big ask for Jerome to go straight into the Liverpool first team. There are enough strikers there at the moment.
"He needs to go out on loan, get games under his belt, and prove himself in men's football. Hopefully, at the start of next season, he will go on the pre-season tour and show Brendan Rodgers what he can do.
"Hopefully he will go on to have a great career, and I can tell people I played with Jerome Sinclair. They have specialist coaches at the Academy at all levels. Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Rob Jones go in and pass on words of wisdom and it looks like Jerome has been listening."
Jerome Sinclair of Liverpool holds off Jordan Tillson of Exeter City during the Emirates FA Cup third round
Jerome Sinclair of Liverpool holds off Jordan Tillson of Exeter City during the Emirates FA Cup third round
Sinclair, who was only 18-years-old at the time, went out on a youth loan to Championship club Wigan Athletic in March 2015, but managed only one appearance before returning to Liverpool. He made his Premier League debut for the Reds in May of that year, featuring against champions Chelsea.
A week later, Sinclair had another outing for the Reds in a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace - which coincided with Steven Gerrard's final appearance at Anfield for Liverpool.
As the year ended, however, the relationship between Sinclair and Liverpool soured. Circumstances were exacerbated when he chose to change agents.
Sinclair entrusted Aidy Ward with managing his affairs as his contract with Liverpool wound down. Yet, Ward already had a contentious history with the club's officials.
READ MORE: 'If he were to become available' - Liverpool midfielder wanted after successful loan spellREAD MORE: Liverpool could correct 15-year-old transfer mistake with Trent Alexander-Arnold 'replacement'
Not long prior to representing Sinclair, Ward was instrumental in Raheem Sterling's acrimonious departure from Liverpool. He orchestrated a remarkable broadside at the club whilst pushing for Sterling's transfer to Manchester City.
Ward was adamant that he 'didn't care' about Liverpool's reputation and claimed that Sterling wouldn't agree to a new contract even if he was offered '£900,000 per week'. Sterling eventually got his way, but only after City agreed to Liverpool's £49m asking price.
By this point, Jurgen Klopp had taken over from Rodgers as the manager of Liverpool. As reported by the ECHO at the time, there was a significant disparity between what Liverpool were prepared to offer and what Sinclair's representatives were demanding.
Sinclair did get to play under Klopp at Liverpool. He was given a starting position in the third round of the FA Cup match against Exeter City, where he scored his first goal for the club in the 12th minute.
However, shortly afterwards, he declared his intention to leave at the end of the season, expressing a desire to play overseas.
Jerome Sinclair before a Liverpool game at Anfield
Jerome Sinclair before a Liverpool game at Anfield(Image: (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Despite Sinclair's wish to play abroad, Watford made a £1.5m bid for him at the end of that month, which Liverpool rejected. In April, Bournemouth approached with a £4m offer, which Liverpool accepted, but this time it was Sinclair who declined.
As soon as the season ended, and with Sinclair's contract due to expire, he agreed to a four-year deal with Watford. A photo of Sinclair signing his contract with the Hornets was shared on the Instagram page of Colossal Sports Management, his agents.
Liverpool secured a £4m fee for the winger through a tribunal, leaving Klopp less than pleased with his actions.
"What we try to do is create a situation where younger players know it is not important to get the highest wages in your life in the first year of your career," Klopp explained.
"So, money talks? I like Jerome; he is a real talent, and if he wants to stay with us, no problem. If not, we cannot force it."
Yet, despite his promise, the England youth international didn't manage to stand out in his inaugural season with Vicarage Road. With just one start and four cameo appearances in the Premier League under his belt, he was sent on loan to Birmingham City during the January transfer window.
His spell at Birmingham initially started well with three starting appearances, but he then disappeared from the line-up, missing out on the subsequent 11 games. Reflecting on his departure from Anfield back in January 2017, Sinclair revealed that his Liverpool exit was a strategic choice for the benefit of his career and justified his decision to move to Vicarage Road.
Jerome Sinclair of Watford celebrates
Jerome Sinclair of Watford celebrates
"To me, it was an exciting opportunity to further my career at a club that's growing," he said. "I played here in an FA Youth Cup tie three years ago, and one side of the ground was missing, so you can see how much the club has progressed.
"We're trying to cement our place in the Premier League and kick on towards those European places. It is very important for the young players here to see there is a pathway to the first team."
Even while being managed by Ward, Sinclair became entangled in another scandal come the summer transfer deadline day of 2017.
He was all set to join Championship team Sheffield United on a loan deal, but the move fell through. A revealing and insightful video from Bleacher Report shed light on why, with agent Ward appearing to play a key role.
Bleacher Report was granted behind-the-scenes access to Sheffield United on transfer deadline day, shadowing then-manager Chris Wilder as he tried to finalise several deals before the window closed.
The footage shows Wilder in conversation with his head of football operations, Carl Schieber, on Thursday morning, confirming that a move for Sinclair was 'all done', needing only a signature. It's revealed that Sinclair's agent, believed to be Ward, had told the club that the player was en route to Sheffield to wrap up the transfer.
READ MORE: I played with Gareth Bale, but star who Liverpool boss called his 'Xavi' was insanely good for 18 monthsREAD MORE: 'Just hurts' - Virgil van Dijk reacts to new major blow after recent Liverpool heartbreak
However, by early afternoon, there was still no sign of Sinclair, leading to a concerned Wilder texting the agent to find out what was happening. He learns that Sinclair is still in Watford and phones him to try to persuade him to make the move north for the season.
Wilder is seen trying to sell Sheffield United and their playing style to the young player. But within a few hours, a text from Ward discloses that the terms of the deal have changed, forcing Wilder to abandon the move.
Wilder and Schieber disclose that the representative requested a fee increase of 100%, which was rejected by United. Similarly, negotiations to sign another Ward client, Domingos Quina, a young player from West Ham, broke down due to comparable difficulties.
Subsequently, Sinclair is seen waiting for directions from his agent at Sheffield's train station. Despite Wilder's claims that Sinclair was eager to join, the transfer never materialised.
Following the video's release, Sinclair expressed his sentiments on Twitter, categorising the portrayal as 'one-sided' and 'misleading'.
Sinclair stated: "This footage is one-sided and very misleading. I was approached, but nothing was agreed upon. I am very happy at Watford and am looking forward to the season. Don't believe everything you read or watch!".
However, after merely five appearances for Watford that season, Sinclair was sent on loan to Sunderland the following campaign, where he played 13 games before his loan spell was terminated prematurely.
"He is such a great boy, but it just hasn't clicked for him here, and that's a shame not only for us but also for him," then-Sunderland manager Jack Ross commented on Sinclair.
"He'll go back to Watford and then take stock and see where he goes next. I can't speak highly of him, his attitude, how he has trained even when out of the team - he has not been one bit of bother."
After his stint with Sunderland, he quickly moved on to Oxford for the latter part of the 2018/19 season, impressing with four goals in 16 appearances and swiftly becoming a crowd pleaser.
He then secured a loan spell at Dutch side VVV-Venlo, where he contributed three goals and one assist across 29 matches in all competitions.
Former Liverpool forward Jerome Sinclair
Former Liverpool forward Jerome Sinclair(Image: Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Following a brief return to Watford which saw him make two League Cup outings in the 2020/21 season, Sinclair was off to join CSKA Sofia on loan. His tenure in Bulgaria yielded one goal from 18 league games before coming back to England.
He exited Watford upon his contract's conclusion in the summer of 2021.
Sinclair, it is suggested, no longer represented by Ward, reconnected with Oxford United on a trial basis back in the summer of 2022 and played his first game in over a year in a friendly match against Banbury United. During the summer, he continued to appear for the U's.
Nonetheless, when the EFL season commenced, nothing materialised from his trial, and at 26, the player once compared to Michael Owen found himself without a club.
The most telling sign yet that Sinclair's life had taken a turn away from professional football emerged last summer when Morley's—a rapidly growing fried-chicken takeaway chain since its inception in London in 1985—tweeted: "Welcome to the Morley's family, Jerome Sinclair."
The company subsequently confirmed to The Athletic in January that the ex-Liverpool youth player was the owner of its Birmingham franchise, though it's unclear if that is still the case. He still holds the record as the youngest player to ever don a Liverpool jersey in a competitive match, but it's fair to say that Sinclair's career hasn't quite panned out as many had anticipated since his departure from Anfield.
Still only 28-years-old, Sinclair will be hoping a positive outing in the Baller League will be able to resurrect his professional career.