Daizen Maeda and John McGlynn win top PFA Scotland awards

Celtic's Daizen Maeda and Falkirk's John McGlynn have claimed the top gongs at the PFA Scotland awards as the Premiership Player of the Year and Manager of the Year respectively.

Celtic forward Maeda has enjoyed his best season at the Hoops since arriving from Yokohama F.Marinos in his homeland in 2022, scoring 16 Scottish Premiership goals to date for the champions.

Speaking at the PFA Scotland awards, Japan international Maeda said:

I think it means that my peers don't really like to play against me and I am really honoured to receive such an award from my fellow footballers.

27-year-old Maeda has become a more central figure in attack for Celtic since the departure of his compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi to Rennes in January and appears as happy as ever at the club.

"Since I joined Celtic there have been ups and downs but every season here I am enjoying it," Maeda said.

Falkirk's John McGlynn received the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award for the second successive time, 48 hours on from the Bairns sealing back-to-back promotions to the Scottish Premiership.

Reflecting on Falkirk's promotion to Scotland's top flight on Friday night, McGlynn told PFA Scotland: "It's been emotional, stressful, brilliant, I'm in a celebratory mood - I've never taken a smile off my face."

The PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award was won by Motherwell's Lennon Miller, with the technically gifted midfielder a consistent performer for the Steelmen at the age of only 18.

Lower down in the Scottish football pyramid, Falkirk's Brad Spencer was named Player of the Year in the Championship, with Arbroath's Fraser Taylor and East Fife's Alan Trouten receiving the awards for League One and League Two respectively.

The PFA Scotland Goal of the Season award was picked up by Hibernian's Jack Iredale for his long range effort to win an Edinburgh derby against Hearts at Easter Road in March.

James Wilson

• Scottish Football
• Scottish Premiership
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