Scott Sinclair has insisted that he will not be dissuaded from carrying on at Celtic after being the victim of racial abuse for the first time in his career at Ibrox.

A 28-year-old man appeared in court yesterday after been caught on TV making monkey gestures after Sinclair had put Celtic ahead from the spot.

Sinclair took to social media to condemn the antics, while his Hoops colleagues were quick to get behind him as they tweeted an anti-racism message.

“It was one of those things,” he said. “It seems it will always be around with a minority of people - it’s always going to be there.

“For me there will always be people like that - I’ve got to carry on with my football and keep enjoying that.

“In football we want to kick it out because there’s no need for it. If any player goes through it you have to keep your head down and keep going on but you want it kicked out.

“My team-mates have got right behind me. They didn’t realise until after the game that it had happened - just like I did.

“It was great to get my team-mates support. That’s the first time it has happened here, the first time in my career actually so I was quite taken aback by it.

Meanwhile, Sinclair has attributed his inclusion in this season’s PFA Player of the Year shortlist to the influence of Brendan Rodgers.

The player collected the Player of the Year award on Sunday night at Celtic’s annual awards ceremony and is in the running to follow it up with the same honour from his fellow professionals.

Rodgers was dogged in his pursuit of Sinclair last summer – and the winger has joked that his manager still winds him up about it.

“I was on holiday and he called me up for a chat,” said Sinclair. “He said he was staying 15 minutes and he then came to meet me.

“He says it to me every other day now, ‘you owe me my petrol money.’ But he was around the corner, he drove over, and we had a good chat.

“I then made my mind up and decided to come here.”

Having worked with Rodgers as a teenager, Sinclair believes the Celtic manager knew how to get the best out of him.

Sinclair netted his 25th goal of the season at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon and has been arguably the most consistent performer in the Parkhead ranks.

The thing is, I’ve known him so long,” said Sinclair of Rodgers. “He’s seen me grow up from a kid to a man. I went to Chelsea at 16 and have known him those long years.

“I think if you ask him he’ll say he’s seen me grow up as a footballer. Another side of it is that he’s done so well as a manager.

“When I was at Swansea and went to City, he went to Liverpool and we both went our own way.

“But I’m happy now to be back working under him. He’s such a great manager but not only that, he’s wants everyone to do well. He really wants to bring the best out in the players.

“I found I was at a crossroads in my career, not knowing where I was going to end up or where I was going to go.

“But now I’m here and everything seems like it’s on the way up again.

“I don’t think I’ve ever won a Player of the Year award in my career before.

“I probably did it at Under-15s with my local team, or something like that, but not professionally.”