Celtic have had an impressive campaign so far this term and it could all end with them as treble winners come May.

So obviously when discussing player of the year nominations a few Celtic players will come to mind. John Guidetti made an instant impact but has tailed off recently. Virgil van Dijk has once again impressed during spells of the season. Captain Scott Brown has also improved this campaign and looked an all rounder. While Stuart Armstrong has done well for both Celtic and Dundee Utd this term.

Other players for various teams in the Scottish Premiership have impressed too.

Second placed Aberdeen have had a consistent scorer in Adam Rooney, who leads the leagues charts with fifteen goals to his name. After Celtic, Aberdeen have the best defensive record in the Scottish top flight and both central defender Mark Reynolds and midfield man Ryan Jack have been integral to that.

Dundee have done well under Paul Hartley and that has a lot to do with Greg Stewart’s twelve league strikes. Across the road at Tannadice, Dundee United’s Nadir Ciftci has shown that he can be a handful for any opposition.

But for me, there can only be two players in Scotland that should be considered for the player of the year award.

Celtic duo Craig Gordon and Stefan Johansen.

CRAIG GORDON:

There must have been times that keeper Craig Gordon just thought ‘will I ever play again?‘. He was out of the game for two years due to knee injuries.

Then in July last summer, he signed a deal with Scottish Champions Celtic. He would soon have to come into the side with stalwart number one Fraser Forster sold to Southampton.

If Gordon was apprehensive about being in the big time again or replacing a formidable predecessor in Forster, then he didn’t let it show. The goalkeeper has been fantastic this term and hasn’t really looked rusty. He is once again showing the world why Sunderland once paid £9m for his services.

Craig has always been a fine shot-stopper and that quality hasn’t gone with age or disappeared through injury.

He marked his first competitive start back in goal with a clean-sheet against St Johnstone and that would set the tone for the rest of this campaign. In the opening seven fixtures of 2015, Gordon kept seven clean-sheets. In total in the league this season he has kept fourteen clean-sheets in his twenty for league appearances in 2014/15.

It has been terrific to see the big goalie once again playing and enjoying his football. Has helped keep Celtic charging for all the domestic honours this season and is back in the Scotland fold. Deserves all the success and plaudits he’s had so far this year.

STEFAN JOHNSEN: 

Has been pushed further forward since his old mentor Ronny Deila took over at Parkhead. Johansen seems to be enjoying the role immensely and has been instrumental in a lot of Celtic’s successes this term.

Likes to dictate the pace pf the game and has the vision to make amazing passes into the feet of strikers. Must be a dream to play with if you are Leigh Griffiths or Guidetti. The twenty-four year old is strong runner, who always tries his best for his teams cause.

The attacking midfielder has contributed with six goals in the league and seven assists. Seems to be the man that now makes this Celtic side tick. Was also the ‘Hoops’ top scorer in Europe this season.

His attitude is exemplary and one that suits Deila. Johansen said this recently…

“I want more and I want to win trophies with Celtic – that’s the main target – and if I can do that by helping score goals then I’m very happy.”

Won the Norwegian player of the year in 2014 and could win the Scottish equivalent this year!

 

All in all it’s a tough one.

On one hand you have Craig Gordon who has had a Hollywood type comeback that few would have guessed. He has been great and strong. Plus cost Celtic absolutely nothing.

The you have Stefan Johansen, who has the skill. ability and vision that gets fans off their seats and watching his every move.

If either two win this, then I will be happy as both have worked extremely hard to get noticed and are both model professionals.

Posted on March 23rd, 2015 by scott
Filed under: Article