Claudio Braga, Lawrence Shankland, Elijah Just and Tawanda Maswanhise are the four nominees for PFA Scotland's Premiership player of the year award after standout campaigns in the 2023/24 season.
Top Scorers in the Frame
The Hearts strike duo of Portuguese forward Claudio Braga and Scotland international Lawrence Shankland have combined for 34 goals in the Scottish Premiership this term, powering the Tynecastle side to the top of the table. Braga, 26, and Shankland, 30, have been instrumental in Hearts' title challenge, earning them joint recognition among the nominees.
Tawanda Maswanhise, the 23-year-old Motherwell attacker, leads the Premiership scoring charts with 17 league goals and has notched 23 across all competitions. His consistent output has also drawn praise, placing him in contention for the prestigious award.
Winger in the Mix
Elijah Just, the 25-year-old New Zealand winger, rounds out the list after a dynamic season with Motherwell. He has contributed seven goals and seven assists, showcasing his all-round attacking threat in a campaign that has helped his side remain in contention deep into the season.
Women's Game Nominees Announced
In the SWPL player of the year category, Hearts' Georgia Timms, Rangers' Katie Wilkinson, Glasgow City's Lee Gibson and Nicole Kozlova have been shortlisted. Meanwhile, the SWPL young player nominees include Rangers' Laura Berry and May Cruft, Glasgow City's Lisa Forrest and Hibernian's Rosie Livingstone.
Young Talent Across Divisions
The SPFL young player of the year nominees are Dundee's Luke Graham, Arbroath's Findlay Marshall, Rangers loanee and Tottenham winger Mikey Moore, and Falkirk's Barney Stewart.
In the lower leagues, St Johnstone pair Jamie Gullan and Josh McPake are up for the Championship award alongside Dunfermline Athletic's Andrew Tod and Partick Thistle's Ben Stanway. For League 1, nominees are Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Alfie Stewart, Peterhead's Kieran Shanks, Hamilton Academical's Oliver Shaw and Stenhousemuir's Ross Taylor. The League 2 shortlist includes Annan Athletic's Wullie Gibson, Spartans' Mark Stowe, Stranraer's Lewis Reid and East Kilbride's John Robertson.
Voting and Ceremony
Players across Scotland will cast their votes for the winners, with the awards ceremony set for 3 May. Last year’s honourees were Celtic pair Emma Lawton and Daizen Maeda, who won the SWPL and Premiership player of the year awards respectively.