he won the BBC's Match of the Day "Goal of the Season" competition with a bicycle kick from outside the penalty area whilst playing for QPR in an FA Cup match against Barnsley. In five years at QPR, he made 168 league appearances, scoring 16 goals. West Ham United In January 1998, Sinclair moved to West Ham United for a combined fee of £2.3 million; £2.7 million minus West Ham players Iain Dowie and Keith Rowland moving to Q.P.R as part of the deal. He scored seven goals in the remaining 14 games to help West Ham achieve an eighth-place finish in the Premier League. He was a regular over the next two seasons, but a serious knee injury ruled him out of the final four months of the 2000–01 season. His absence coincided with a loss of form for the team, and by the end of the season manager Harry Redknapp had been sacked. Sinclair recovered in time for the 2001–02 season and featured 34 times, often on the left wing, as he won his bid to play at the World Cup for England in that position. 2002–03 was Sinclair's final season with West Ham. They were relegated at the end of the season. Forced to cut costs, West Ham accepted a £3.3m bid for the player from Manchester City. In total Sinclair spent five years at Upton Park, playing in a variety of positions including wingback, left and right wing and as a striker when called upon. He made 177 league appearances and scored 37 goals including two goals on his West Ham debut, on 31 January 1998, in a 2–2 home draw against Everton. Manchester City After West Ham's relegation, Sinclair joined Manchester City in 2003 for £3.3 million, and went on to score City's first competitive goal at the new City of Manchester Stadium in a UEFA Cup tie against Welsh side Total Network Solutions. At the beginning of his career at Manchester City, he played on the left wing, where he had performed for England at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. However, the departure of Shaun Wright-Phillips presented the opportunity for Sinclair to play on his preferred right wing. Sinclair was released by Manchester City at the end of the 2006–07 season. Cardiff City On 10 July 2007, he joined Championship club, Cardiff City. He began the season as a first-team player, scoring his first