Celtic midfielder Scott Brown wins top Scottish PFA honour

Scott Brown scooped another trophy after Celtic’s title-clinching thrashing of Rangers when he was named PFA Scotland Player of the Year.

The Celtic captain becomes only the second player to claim the award for a second time, following in the footsteps of a former Hoops player, Henrik Larsson.

Kieran Tierney claimed the young player award along with goal of the season but St Mirren’s Jack Ross prevented a Celtic clean sweep by collecting the manager of the year prize.

Brown’s previous success was nine years ago and the recognition from his fellow professionals is reward for his consistency since Brendan Rodgers arrived at Celtic in the summer of 2016.

The 32-year-old has made 53 appearances for club and country this season, although he retired from Scotland duty before Alex McLeish’s first match in charge last month.

The former Hibernian midfielder beat team-mate James Forrest, Easter Road player John McGinn and Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd to the prize.

Tierney becomes the first man to win the young player award for a third time, coming out on top amid competition from Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna, Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos and St Mirren’s Celtic-bound winger Lewis Morgan.

The 20-year-old also won goal of the year for his 40-yard strike into the top corner against Kilmarnock in the Betfred Cup in August.

Neither Brown nor Tierney were present at the awards dinner in Glasgow as they had flown out for a foreign break with their team-mates hours after a 5-0 win over Rangers wrapped up their seventh consecutive Premiership crown.

Rodgers missed out on the manager award to Ross, who led St Mirren to the Ladbrokes Championship title this season, 18 months after taking over with the club bottom of the same division. Kilmarnock’s Steve Clarke and Neil Lennon of Hibs were also on the shortlist.

Morgan, Ayr striker Lawrence Shankland and Stirling midfielder Darren Smith won the divisional player awards.