Celtic players dominate PFA Scotland Premiership POTY nominees | OneFootball

As expected Celtic players dominate the nominations for the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year shortlist for season 2024/25.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic is seen during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Quarter-Final match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park on March 09, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Nicolas Kuhn celebrates. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star).

Callum McGregor of Celtic celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Arne Engels celebratesSt Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

The players at each club vote for both their Player of the Year and also Young Player of the Year and they are not allowed to vote for players from their own club.

Champions Celtic have three players from four in the main award’s shortlist while there is one Celtic player up for Young Player of the Year.

Daizen Maeda is the clear favourite

No prizes for guess the names of the three Celts who have made the top four based on the votes cast. Daizen Maeda, the clear favourite, Nicolas Kuhn who was the early favourite after a brilliant start to the season and Celtic’s Captain Marvel Callum McGregor are all included alongside Simon Murray from Dundee.

PFA Scotland POTY Nominees. Callum McGregor is among the four nominees alongside Simon Murray from Dundee FC, Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn. Photo PFA Scotland.

Callum McGregor attended today’s event alongside Dundee striker Simon Murray but there was no sign of Daizen Maeda or Nicolas Kuhn, with the Celtic squad currently on a day off after the title win at Tannadice on Saturday  afternoon.

Callum McGregor spoke to Sky Sports at today’s PFA Scotland event.

Four worthy contenders

Hopefully Daizen’s vote is strong enough to ensure he gets the recognition he deserves with the danger perhaps that Simon Murray sneaks through based on the three Celts having split the vote. To be fair all four nominees are worthy of their place on the final four list of nominees as they have all had outstanding seasons.

Calmac incidentally revealed that he voted for Simon Murray.

No clear favourite for Young POTY

In the shortlist of nominees for the FA Scotland Premiership Young Player of the Year, Arne Engels makes the list alongside Lennon Miller of Motherwell, Jamie Wilson of Hearts and Hamza Igamane of theRangers. Good to see Engels included here in a shortlist voted by his fellow professionals.

Engels is often judged based on his transfer fee

Most of the criticism that the young Belgium international receives seems to be related to his transfer fee of £11m which obviously had zero to do with the player. Celtic spent that money on Engels so that he can be developed by Brendan Rodgers and presumably sold on at profit after he’s helped Celtic win major honours. For a first season as a 21 year old he’s done fine, establishing himself in the Celtic midfield alongside Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate and he’s already won two major honours and he’s the only one of the four who stands a chance of collecting another winners medal in the Scottish Cup final.

Lennon Miller could be a Celtic target this summer

Igamane scored that winning goal against Celtic in the recent Glasgow Derby but has mostly been a substitute in recent months, failing to keep a starting place in what is a fairly poor side, that’s now fallen 17 points behind Celtic. Lennon Miller – who could be a Celtic target this summer – and Jamie Wilson are both playing bottom six football with Miller having been out injured for several months Wilson is highly regarded as a potential Hearts POTY, so should do well in the voting.

The Young Player of the Year is wide open but the Player of the Year seems to be down to a battle between Daizen Maeda and Simon Murray. both have been remarkable all season for their clubs, and as the only viable contender that’s not from the Champions, Murray might just benefit from an ‘Anyone But Celtic’ approach. Hopefully not as Daizen Maeda is clearly the best player in Scottish football this season.

Best of luck to Celtic wingback Emma Lawton who is nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year.  She’s been one of the few positives in what has turned out to be a below par season from the Ghirls.

Help raise funds for Celtic Youth Academy by playing the Celtic Pools Weekly Lottery and you could win up to £25,000. The lottery is £1 per week. Click on image above to join.

More Stories / Latest News

Celtic players dominate PFA Scotland Premiership POTY nominees

Apr 28 2025, 16:51

“We were speaking about it in the dressing room,” Callum McGregor

Apr 28 2025, 13:29

Guesswork on Jota, let’s wait to hear from Brendan Rodgers

Apr 28 2025, 12:45