three celts up for top award

Gregor Kyle
A TRIO of Celts are in the running for this season’s Scottish Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.

Scott McDonald, Aiden McGeady and Barry Robson, who joined the club in January from Dundee United, are included in the four-man shortlist.

The final vote for the PFA award is made by Scottish Premier League players, with Aiden McGeady also in the running for the young player gong.

If one of the three Celtic players claims the prize it will continue a proud tradition for the club, with Shunsuke Nakamura lifting last year’s gong, Shaun Maloney winning it in 2006, John Hartson a joint winner in 2005 and Chris Sutton lifting the prize in 2004. Former Celt, Henrik Larsson is also the only player to win the award twice, in 1999 and 2001.

PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart said: "This is the top award for players. There is no greater honour in football than to be voted the best player in your country by your fellow professionals."

McDonald, McGeady and Robson were all in attendance in Glasgow for the announcement of the shortlist, along with Dundee’s Kevin McDonald, who is in the running for this season’s First Division gong.

The Celtic players are joined by Rangers’ Carlos Cuellar in the list of nominees, with McGeady also up against Falkirk’s Scott Arfield, Hibs’ Steven Fletcher, Motherwell’s Ross McCormack and Dundee midfielder McDonald, for the Young Player award.