Branislav Ivanovic played with the Celtic star at Chelsea.
Speaking to The Sunday Post, Branislav Ivanovic has revealed that he is relishing a reunion with Celtic star Scott Sinclair and suggested he always had the potential to be a “very good” footballer.
The 33-year-old defender and Sinclair spent two years together at Chelsea, before the latter joined up with now-Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers at Swansea City in 2010.
Serbian right-back Ivanovic could be charged with the task of marking his former Chelsea team-mate on Thursday when Zenit travel to Glasgow for the first leg of a last-32 Europa League tie.
And the three-time Premier League champion knows he could be in for a tough night after reminiscing on the potential he showed in South London.
“He was one of those who you knew had the potential to be very good. Chelsea wanted to keep him, but he decided to leave,” he told The Sunday Post.
“He’s a very dangerous player, and I could come up against him directly in Glasgow. It would be a good contest.”
Rodgers was Chelsea’s reserve team manager when Ivanovic arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2008.
And the Zenit stalwart added the Northern Irishman’s meticulous training-ground methods were refreshing to him early on.
“I think he is a very good manager and he is very passionate. He takes care of everything, he understands football, and he can build teams because he always gives chances to young players. I respect him a lot.
“When I first encountered him at Chelsea, he was something new for me – completely different, in fact, to what I had come across before.
“He was very precise with everything. He went through every movement you made, and he is very focused on every single situation in the game.”
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