It’s awards season in Scottish football and tonight players’ union PFA Scotland will announce their winners for the 2023/24 campaign.
Celtic have representatives in three categories – Matt O’Riley is nominated for Player of the Year, Amy Gallacher is up for Women’s Player of the Year and three Bhoys goals were included on the Goal of the Season shortlist.
O’Riley is up against Rangers duo Jack Butland and James Tavernier, with free-scoring Hearts forward Lawrence Shankland also nominated.
The Celtic midfielder has been in stunning form this term, contributing a massive combined total of 32 goals and assists in 45 appearances.
He was again excellent in Saturday’s win over Hearts, supplying a glorious pass for Kyogo Furuhashi to fire home before slotting in a late penalty himself.
Greg Taylor has no doubts about the best player in Scotland
For teammate Greg Taylor, O’Riley is the standout pick to win the award. He said [The Herald]: “In my eyes, Matt is the clear winner. His performances have been so consistent throughout the year and I know it would be a huge honour for him.
“It would be great for Matt that his fellow professionals have voted him as player of the year. It would be fully deserved too.
“Matt has been so consistent for us in big games and scored big goals. He’s also one who devotes his whole life to the game, like most boys do now. But when you see someone get success off the back of that, you can really appreciate it and be happy for them.”
O’Riley answered Brendan Rodgers’ challenge
Last summer, manager Brendan Rodgers made it clear he wanted to see more goals from the Celtic midfielder and it’s fair to say he’s managed to do that with 15 in all competitions.
That contribution has catapulted his Bhoys status to the next level and he is now being discussed as potentially Celtic’s most expensive export in history if the right club comes along with the right amount of cash.
No Celtic fan wants to see O’Riley leave given how valuable his efforts have been this season but, as is often the case in modern football, his exit may be inevitable.
We should enjoy him while he’s here and, yes, Taylor is right. Everyone in Scotland should be handing him out all of the awards this month.