Griffiths, Hayes, Stewart & Hemmings nominated for PFA Scotland award

Clockwise from top left: Leigh Griffiths, Jonny Hayes, Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart

Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths is among the contenders for PFA Scotland's Player of the Year award.

The prolific 25-year-old leads the scoring charts with 38 goals in 48 club appearances this season.

Dundee forwards Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings are also in the running for the players' union prize, with the latter having notched 25 goals.

Aberdeen winger Jonny Hayes makes up the four-man shortlist, with the winner announced on 1 May.

Griffiths, whose previous best tally for a season was 28 for Hibernian in 2012-13, admits the shine has been taken off his own achievements by Celtic's failure to progress in Europe or reach a domestic cup final.

"It has been the best season of my career," he said. "I can't really complain with 38 goals and hopefully there is still a lot more to come. I got myself back in the Scotland side, which was good, and hopefully I can add another league title to my collection.

"It is nice to get individual awards but collectively as a team it has been disappointing. The European competitions weren't great, or going out of the cup competitions (in the semi-finals). But we can still make history by getting five titles in a row."

Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney is nominated in the young player category.

The 18-year-old has become a regular in the defending champions' starting line-up this season and won his first Scotland cap in March.

"It has been mad for me to come all this way," he said. "Last season I made one or two appearances and I thought I would be in and out this season and maybe play in the cup games.

"But the manager has put great faith in me and I am very grateful. He has put me into some big European games and big league games, so credit to him for trusting a young boy like me."

Tierney faces competition from a trio of Championship players - Rangers winger Barrie McKay and Hibernian duo John McGinn and Jason Cummings.

Celtic players have dominated the top prize in recent times, collecting eight of the past 10 awards, with Stefan Johansen winning the vote last year.

No Dundee player has ever won the accolade since its inception in 1978.

Kieran Tierney and Barrie McKay are contenders for the Young Player of the Year award