Hearts storm to PFA awards success as Rangers land gongs and Steve Clarke joins special company

Hearts’ incredible season was recognised at the PFA Scotland awards as three awards made their way back to Tynecastle.

The PFA awards ceremony took place on Sunday night and Hearts head coach Derek McInnes was picked as manager of the year. Forward Claudio Braga beat teammate Lawrence Shankland to the player of the year award- and here was also joy for Hearts Women’s boss Eva Olid after she landed SWPL Manager of the Year.

McInnes and Braga learned of their awards ahead of their huge game of Rangers at Tynecastle. Hearts are top of the league with four matches to go and would move three points clear of second-placed Celtic and seven clear of their Ibrox rivals should they prevail at Tynecastle on Monday evening.

Hearts pair Derek McInnes and Claudio Braga landed awards. | SNS Group

Speaking after he won the award, McInnes - who beat Falkirk’s John McGlynn and Stenhousemuir’s Gary Naysmith to the prize - said: “Normally when you get individual awards it's a reflection of a season that's finished.

“As nice as this is, and of course it's nice to be recognised by your fellow managers, I'm just thinking about the game tomorrow. There's work to be done and maybe the time to reflect will be at the end of the season.

“There's a lot of pride that we've got to 73 points, a brilliant number that the players have delivered with four games to go. We're delighted we're in the fight and now we're trying to hold off two heavyweights.

“We have done since the back end of September and it's not been easy. But the players keep coming up with big moments and getting big victories. Most people would have thought we'd fallen away by now, but I don't see why it needs to change.”

Braga was a summer signing from Aalesunds and the Portuguese forward has been one of Hearts’ most impressive players during this campaign. The 26-year-old has netted 17 goals this season and took the award ahead of Tynecastle team-mate Lawrence Shankland, plus Motherwell duo Elijah Just and Tawanda Maswanhise.

Rangers land two awards

Rangers playmaker Mikey Moore, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, was named young player of the year and his teammate Youssef Chermiti grabbed goal of the season for an incredible overhead kick against Celtic.

St Johnstone winger Josh McPake - who will join Hearts this summer - is the Championship player of the year, while Hamilton Accies striker Oli Shaw and East Kilbride wide man John Robertson took the League One and League Two awards respectively.

Hearts Women are also on course for the SWPL title and Olid, who will leave the club at the end of the season, was recognised for her efforts. Glasgow City’s Nicole Kozlova was named player of the year, while Rangers’ 16-year-old May Cruft won young player of the year.

There was also a special merit award for Scotland head coach Steve Clarke after guiding the country to this summer’s World Cup in the Americas.

“It means I've done something right, or more importantly my players have!” said Clarke. "When I looked at some of the names that have had this award before me, guys like Sir Kenny Dalglish, Sir Alex Ferguson, Craig Brown, Graeme Souness, there's a lot of top people that have had it

"For me to be in the same company as them is quite humbling.”