PFA Scotland: Forrest, Kent, McGregor & Morelos vie for award

Two players each from leaders Celtic and second-top Rangers have been nominated for the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year award.

Celtic winger James Forrest and midfielder Callum McGregor are joined by Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos and on-loan Liverpool winger Ryan Kent.

Kent is also among the nominations for the young player award.

He is up against Aberdeen's Lewis Ferguson and Motherwell pair David Turnbull and Jake Hastie.

It will be the first time in four years that Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney - who remains eligible for the award at 21 - will not have lifted the young player prize.

And it will also be the first time in five years that a Celtic defender will not claim the award, with Jason Denayer preceding Tierney.

Celtic captain Scott Brown topped the player of the year voting among his peers last season, becoming only the second player to win it twice after former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson.

Forrest was also nominated last year, along with former Hibernian midfielder John McGinn and Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd.

He and Scotland team-mate McGregor will be looking to make it a sixth season in a row that the award has gone to a Celtic player.

If it is won by Morelos or Kent, he will become the first to buck that trend since former Motherwell striker Michael Higdon won in 2012-13 and the first Rangers player since Steven Davis in 2009-10.

Morelos was nominated for the young player award last season along with Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna and St Mirren winger Lewis Morgan, now of Celtic.

Three notable absentees from the list, who were 21 at the start of the season, are Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer and strikers Sam Cosgrove, of Aberdeen, and Odsonne Edouard, of Celtic.

The last non-Celtic player to win that award was Scotland left-back Andrew Robertson, now of Liverpool and then of Dundee United, in 2013-14.

Morelos cost Rangers a title challenge - analysis

Dundee striker Kenny Miller on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound

Allan McGregor has been outstanding in goal all season - for me, Rangers' best signing and definitely earned them points from the minute he walked through the door and played a big part in the European run. I thought he would be definitely top four - and with Morelos, Callum McGregor and James Forrest. Ryan Kent, I am a huge fan of, has had a great season for a young man coming up to a massive club, Rangers toil without him and I think he ought to be the young player.

Dundee United head coach Robbie Neilson on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound

I think Allan McGregor has had a great season, but I don't think you can see past James Forrest - 40 goals or assists this season and being part of a team that has a good chance of doing the treble. He has improved season-on-season, but now he has added goals and assists to his game. Morelos is a very good player, but his discipline has let him down - and the team down - hence the reason why I think he won't get player of the year.

Ayr United manager Ian McCall on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound

I wouldn't have had Morelos in it, because Rangers would have been seven or eight points clearer if he hadn't been sent off about five times and there would be a title race. Forrest and McGregor definitely - I'm not sure about Kent. I would agree McGregor, the goalkeeper, could have been there, but I think some of the clubs who have over-achieved, the likes of Kilmarnock and Livingston, could be represented. Gary Dicker and Greg Taylor have been terrific for Kilmarnock, Craig Halkett has had a terrific season for Livingston and Graeme Shinnie, every time I have seen him he has been the heartbeat of Aberdeen.