The snow-shrouded peaks of the Campsie Fells overlooking Celtic’s Lennoxtown training complex may have looked more like a scene from the depths of winter rather than late March but Scott Sinclair certainly had a spring in his step.

For the 27-year-old Englishman, the journey to this secluded centre of excellence remains a joyful ritual as he continues to savour a career renaissance with the Glasgow giants. With 18 goals and a series of sprightly, influential appearances which have helped the Parkhead club surge to within one win of the title, Sinclair has certainly made a few folk sit up and take notice.

It’s just a pity, then, that one of those onlookers is not the current England manager, Gareth Southgate. While the 34-year-old Jermain Defoe was being recalled to the international fray for the first time since 2013, there was no room for the in-form Sinclair in Southgate’s squad for tonight’s friendly with Germany and the weekend’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania.

Given that his girlfriend, Helen Flanagan, is an actress in long-running soap Coronation Street, it would be apt to assume that Sinclair would be as bitter as the kegs in the Rovers Return at this England snub. He is not one to harbour grudges, though.

“I’ve definitely not given up on England and I would still love to play for my country,” he said with a philosophical smile. “Jermain getting called up shows that there is always time. As a player you always ask ‘do I still want to play for them (my country) or not?’ My ambition is still to do that. For me it’s about working hard, getting my form back, which I have, and scoring goals and creating them in games. All I can do is focus on the things that are in my control.”

The shimmering stage of the Champions League remains an arena that Sinclair believes can be used to his advantage on the international front. “I don’t see why it can’t help,” said Sinclair, who represented his country at a range of youth levels. “There are not many English players playing Champions League football.”

Sinclair was not the only Celtic player to be left on the outside when it came to international affairs. The prolific Moussa Dembele, for instance, didn’t make the cut for the French team despite finding the net over 30 times for the Hoops.

“Moussa, I’m sure, will get a call up soon,” added Sinclair. “As for me, I just have to keep my head down and hopefully my time will come.”

Celtic’s time to become Scottish champions again has nearly arrived. Victory over Hearts at Tynecastle next weekend will seal a sixth consecutive title. For Sinclair, it will be the icing on the cake after finding the Parkhead Paradise very much to his liking.

“In my career I’ve had so many downs so to get through it means I understand how happy things are right now,” said Sinclair, who had a couple of unfulfilling stints at Manchester City and Aston Villa after big-money moves.

“Playing for Villa and City in the Premier League is good and you get a decent contract but then you get older – I’m 28 next week – and you decide what makes you happy. It’s about trying to get a balance.”

Given the unrelenting nature of the Celtic assault on the domestic front this season, the international break has arrived at an ideal time as Sinclair and his team-mates get a breather before the final push. Going unbeaten through an entire campaign would be quite an achievement and Sinclair is determined to get that particular job done.

“Because we’ve done so well the expectation is so high and people expect us to win 3-0 every week,” he conceded. “Football is not like that. Everyone has the mentality of motoring through and getting this done. The manager has the expectation of us, to keep going and going. From a team point of view it’s been excellent. It’s not over. We have work to do but on a personal level I’m happy to be playing and scoring and getting my form back.

“The international break has arrived at a good time. We’ve played so many games up until now so it’s good to get a break, get away and recharge.”

As Celtic prepare to honour those Lisbon Lions who conquered Europe 50 years ago, Sinclair is well aware of the magnitude of that feat. Having played for Aston Villa, who won Europe’s premier competition back in 1982, he knows what it’s like to play for a club with a proud European pedigree. “Winning the European Cup seems bigger here than it did at Villa, though,” noted Sinclair. “It’s talked about a lot more. It was such a huge thing that these players achieved.”

With his better half combining her time between Glasgow and the Corrie set, Sinclair remained coy on whether a green and white scarf would soon be draped on the taps of Newton & Ridley’s finest ale.

He said: “She’s only ever supported me, not really a football team as such. But she loves it up here. All the people are so friendly so she hasn’t got a bad word to say about Celtic or Scotland.”