Key Takeaways
- Zimbabwe international Tawanda Maswanhise leads the scoring charts with 17 league goals for Motherwell.
- Heart of Midlothian duo Claudio Braga and Lawrence Shankland have netted 34 times combined this campaign.
- Footballers across Scotland will vote for the winners ahead of the 3 May ceremony.
The Professional Footballers’ Association Scotland has named its four finalists for the top men’s prize. Two players from Heart of Midlothian and two from Motherwell will battle for the Premiership Player of the Year award.
Maswanhise, the 23-year-old Zimbabwe forward, stands out with 23 strikes in all competitions. His 17 league goals make him the division’s leading marksman. The African attacker has been vital for Motherwell’s push this term.
His club colleague Elijah Just adds attacking flair from the wing. The New Zealand international has contributed seven goals and seven assists during the season.
League leaders Heart of Midlothian rely heavily on their own deadly pair. Portuguese striker Claudio Braga, aged 26, and Scotland cap Lawrence Shankland, 30, have shared 34 goals between them. Their form keeps the Edinburgh side at the summit.
The women’s game also receives recognition. Georgia Timms of Heart of Midlothian joins Rangers’ Katie Wilkinson, Glasgow City keeper Lee Gibson and Nicole Kozlova on the SWPL shortlist.
Young talent features too. Dundee defender Luke Graham, Arbroath midfielder Findlay Marshall, on-loan Spurs winger Mikey Moore at Rangers, and Falkirk’s Barney Stewart compete for the young player gong. Rangers duo Laura Berry and May Cruft, plus Glasgow City’s Lisa Forrest and Hibernian’s Rosie Livingstone feature in the women’s equivalent.
Lower league stars are not forgotten. St Johnstone pair Jamie Gullan and Josh McPake join Dunfermline’s Andrew Tod and Partick Thistle’s Ben Stanway for the Championship prize. Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s Alfie Stewart, Peterhead’s Kieran Shanks, Hamilton’s Oliver Shaw and Stenhousemuir’s Ross Taylor vie for League One honours. Annan’s Wullie Gibson, Spartans’ Mark Stowe, Stranraer’s Lewis Reid and East Kilbride’s John Robertson contest the League Two award.
Players across the divisions will cast votes to decide each winner. The organisation will host the awards night on 3 May. Last year, Celtic pair Emma Lawton and Daizen Maeda lifted the women’s and men’s trophies respectively.