PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year

The PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year (often called the Players' Player of the Year, or simply the Scottish Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football.[1] The award has been presented since the 1977–78 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the players' trade union, the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland (PFA Scotland).[2] The award was formerly known as the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year, but was renamed after the SPFA became affiliated with the (English) Professional Footballers' Association and rebranded PFA Scotland.

This article is about the men's award. For the women's award, see PFA Scotland Women's Players' Player of the Year.

PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year
Henrik Larsson won the award twice
Awarded forThe outstanding player in each given Scottish football season
CountryScotland
Presented byPFA Scotland
First awarded1978
Last awarded2023
Player of the YearKyogo Furuhashi
Most awardsScott Brown
Henrik Larsson
(2 wins each)

The first winner of the award was Rangers striker Derek Johnstone, and the first non-Scottish winner was Aberdeen goalkeeper Theo Snelders eleven years later. Although there is a separate PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award, young players remain eligible to win the senior award, and in the 2005–06 season Shaun Maloney became the first player to win both awards in the same season, a feat repeated by Aiden McGeady two years later.

A shortlist of nominees is published in April and the winner of the award, along with the winners of PFA Scotland's other annual awards, is announced at a gala event in Glasgow a few days later.[3] The award is regarded by the players themselves as extremely prestigious, with John Hartson commenting in 2005 that "the award means a lot because it's voted by your fellow professionals"[4] and Shaun Maloney stating in 2006 that "there is no better accolade than to be voted for by your peers and it does mean a lot to me".[5] In 2007 the SPFA was replaced by a new body, PFA Scotland,[6] but the new organisation's awards are considered to be a direct continuation of the SPFA awards.[7][8]

Winners

The award has been presented on 45 occasions as of 2023, with two players sharing the award on one occasion (2004–05).[9] There have been 44 different winners, with Scott Brown and Henrik Larsson being the only players to have won the award more than once. The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award (SFWA),[10] and the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award (SYPY).[9]

Ally McCoist was the 1992 winner.
In 2018, Scott Brown became the second player to win the award twice.
James Forrest won the award in 2019, the sixth consecutive Celtic player to be named Player of the Year.
Season Nat PlayerClubNotesRef
1977–78ScotlandDerek JohnstoneRangersAlso won the SFWA award. First player to win SPFA and SFWA awards in the same season.
1978–79ScotlandPaul HegartyDundee United
1979–80ScotlandDavie ProvanCeltic
1980–81ScotlandMark McGheeAberdeen
1981–82ScotlandSandy ClarkAirdrieonians
1982–83ScotlandCharlie NicholasCelticAlso won the SFWA award.
1983–84ScotlandWillie MillerAberdeenAlso won the SFWA award
1984–85ScotlandJim DuffyMorton[11]
1985–86ScotlandRichard GoughDundee United
1986–87ScotlandBrian McClairCelticAlso won the SFWA award
1987–88ScotlandPaul McStayCelticAlso won the SFWA award[12]
1988–89NetherlandsTheo SneldersAberdeenFirst winner of the award from outside the United Kingdom
1989–90ScotlandJim BettAberdeen
1990–91EnglandPaul ElliottCeltic
1991–92ScotlandAlly McCoistRangersAlso won the SFWA award
1992–93ScotlandAndy GoramRangersAlso won the SFWA award
1993–94EnglandMark HateleyRangersAlso won the SFWA award
1994–95DenmarkBrian LaudrupRangersAlso won the SFWA award
1995–96EnglandPaul GascoigneRangersAlso won the SFWA award
1996–97ItalyPaolo Di CanioCeltic
1997–98ScotlandJackie McNamaraCeltic
1998–99SwedenHenrik LarssonCelticAlso won the SFWA award
1999–00AustraliaMark VidukaCelticFirst winner of the award from outside Europe
2000–01SwedenHenrik LarssonCelticFirst two-time winner of the award. Also won the SFWA award.
2001–02ItalyLorenzo AmorusoRangers
2002–03ScotlandBarry FergusonRangersAlso won the SFWA award
2003–04EnglandChris SuttonCeltic
2004–05NetherlandsFernando Ricksen (joint winner)Rangers
WalesJohn Hartson (joint winner)CelticAlso won the SFWA award
2005–06ScotlandShaun MaloneyCelticAlso won the SYPY award. First player to win both PFA Scotland awards in the same season.
2006–07JapanShunsuke NakamuraCelticAlso won the SFWA award
2007–08Republic of IrelandAiden McGeadyCelticAlso won the SYPY award[13]
2008–09ScotlandScott BrownCeltic[14]
2009–10Northern IrelandSteven DavisRangers[15]
2010–11HondurasEmilio IzaguirreCelticAlso won the SFWA award[16]
2011–12ScotlandCharlie MulgrewCelticAlso won the SFWA award[17]
2012–13EnglandMichael HigdonMotherwell[18]
2013–14ScotlandKris CommonsCelticAlso won the SFWA award[19]
2014–15NorwayStefan JohansenCeltic[20]
2015–16ScotlandLeigh GriffithsCelticAlso won the SFWA award[21]
2016–17EnglandScott SinclairCelticAlso won the SFWA award[22]
2017–18ScotlandScott BrownCelticAlso won the SFWA award[23][24]
2018–19ScotlandJames ForrestCelticAlso won the SFWA award[25]
2019–20 — — — Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PFA Scotland cancelled their awards for the 2019–20 season. [26]
2020–21EnglandJames TavernierRangers[27][28]
2021–22ScotlandCallum McGregorCeltic[29]
2022–23JapanKyogo FuruhashiCelticAlso won the SFWA award[30]

Breakdown of winners

Winners by country
CountryNumber of winsWinning seasons
Scotland Scotland
24
1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22
England England
7
1990–91, 1993–94, 1995–96, 2003–04, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2020–21
Italy Italy
2
1996–97, 2001–02
Japan Japan
2
2006–07, 2022–23
Netherlands Netherlands
2
1988–89, 2004–05 (shared)
Sweden Sweden
2
1998–99, 2000–01
Australia Australia
1
1999–00
Denmark Denmark
1
1994–95
Honduras Honduras
1
2010–11
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland
1
2009–10
Norway Norway
1
2014–15
Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland
1
2007–08
Wales Wales
1
2004–05 (shared)

Winners by club
ClubNumber of winsWinning seasons
Celtic
26
1979–80, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05 (shared), 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
Rangers
11
1977–78, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05 (shared), 2009–10, 2020–21
Aberdeen
4
1980–81, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1989–90
Dundee United
2
1978–79, 1985–86
Airdrieonians
1
1981–82
Greenock Morton
1
1984–85
Motherwell
1
2012–13

See also

References
  1. Fisher, Stewart (2 May 2004). "Jackie named player of the year". Sunday Herald. Herald & Times Group. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  2. "Amoruso is players' choice". BBC Sport. 29 April 2002. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  3. "SPFA Player of the Year nominations". The Scottish Premier League. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  4. "Hartson and Ricksen share award". BBC Sport. 25 April 2005. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  5. "Maloney in historic awards double". BBC Sport. 1 May 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  6. Greig, Martin (5 July 2007). "Fraser Wishart is promising a new kind of players union". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  7. "McGeady picks up double prize at football awards". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 24 April 2008. Celtic winger Aiden McGeady has pulled off an awards double by winning the PFA Scotland Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards....McGeady follows in the footsteps of former Parkhead team-mate Shaun Maloney, who won both awards in a single season in 2006.
  8. "McGeady happy with Hoops". teamtalk.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2008. The only other player to have claimed the PFA Scotland double was Shaun Maloney, the Celtic midfielder who went on to carve out a career in the Premier League with Aston Villa.
  9. Barnes, Stuart (2007). News of the World Football Annual 2007/2008. Invincible Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-00-725555-9.
  10. Barnes, Stuart. News of the World Football Annual 2007/2008. p. 62.
  11. Paul, Ian (20 May 1985). "Morton's Jim Duffy is player's player". Glasgow Herald. p. 17. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  12. Traynor, James (16 May 1988). "A triumph for common sense". Glasgow Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  13. Bailey, Graeme (20 April 2008). "McGeady claims PFA double". Sky Sports. BSkyB. Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  14. Graham Spiers (4 May 2009). "Celtic's Scott Brown claims player of the year prize". The Times. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  15. "Davis crowned player of the year". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  16. "Izaguirre lands top gong". Sky Sports. BSkyB. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  17. "Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew named player of the year". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  18. "Motherwell: Michael Higdon named player of the year". BBC Sport. BBC. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  19. "Celtic's Kris Commons named Premiership player of year". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  20. "Celtic's Stefan Johansen named Scottish PFA player of the year". BBC Sport. BBC. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  21. "Leigh Griffiths: Celtic forward named PFA Scotland Player of the Year". BBC Sport. BBC. 1 May 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  22. "Scott Sinclair named SPFA player of the year as Celtic win four awards". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  23. "Kris Boyd, John McGinn & Celtic's Scott Brown & James Forrest up for PFA award". BBC Sport. BBC. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  24. "Scott Brown: Celtic captain voted PFA Scotland player of the year 2017/18". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  25. "James Forrest, Steve Clarke & Ryan Kent win PFA Scotland annual awards". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  26. McKay, Gabriel (19 May 2020). "Celtic and Rangers stars in line for end of season gongs as SFWA awards go ahead as planned". Daily Record. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  27. @PFAScotland (11 May 2021). "The nominees for this season's PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year, are: Steven Davis (@RangersFC); Ryan Kent (@RangersFC); Allan McGregor (@RangersFC); James Tavernier (@RangersFC). The winner will be revealed this Sunday (16 May)" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 May 2021 – via Twitter.
  28. "Rangers: Steven Gerrard and James Tavernier win PFA Scotland awards". BBC Sport. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  29. "Celtic take five prizes at PFA Scotland awards, including manager of the year". BBC Sport. 1 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  30. "Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi and Caitlin Hayes win PFA Scotland player of the year awards". BBC Sport. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.

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