Four SFWA player of year candidates revealed as Aberdeen ace makes cut but no room for Rangers and Celtic talismen

Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski is in the running for the SFWA player of the year prize.

Jack Butland, Matt O’Riley, Bojan Miovski and Lawrence Shankland have been shortlisted for the Scottish Football Writers’ Player of the Year Award.

The Scottish Football Writers Association (SFWA) announced the candidates on Friday morning, with Hearts striker Shankland aiming to pick up another prize after landing the PFA Scotland Player of the Year gong last weekend. There is no place on the shortlist for Rangers captain James Tavernier, however, who was in contention to win the PFA title alongside Celtic midfielder O’Riley, Shankland and his Ibrox team-mate Butland. Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi, who won the SFWA award last season, has also failed to make the frame, but after an excellent season, Aberdeen hitman Miovski has been recognised by the country’s football writers.

The winner is expected to be announced next week ahead of the SFWA award ceremony on Sunday, May 19. The shortlists for the manager of the year and young player of the year have also been revealed this week, with Rangers’ Philippe Clement, Kilmarnock’s Derek McInnes, Dundee’s Tony Docherty and Falkirk’s John McGlynn in the running to be top boss, while Aberdeen’s Connor Barron, Kilmarnock’s David Watson, Motherwell’s Lennon Miller and Dundee’s Lyall Cameron vying for the young player of the year prize.