CHOOSING the player of the year has been one of the more pleasant chores that the fine collection of men and woman, members of the Scottish Football Writers' Association, has to undertake, but it has never been my style to discuss the way my own vote would go. The reasons are simple. First, it is a ballot which, presumably, is in confidence until its result is announced, and, second, because the outcome ought to have at least an element of surprise.
However, this season's choice is so obvious, so unavoidable, that it is perhaps permissible to break with tradition.
Henrik Larsson will surely be so far ahead of all other contenders that the interesting debate will centre on who's gonna be second. Larsson has scored nearly 50 goals for the team that has won the double, Celtic, and are favourites to make it the treble. His consistency and quality of play, allied to that inherent knack of being in the right place at the right time, make him a gold- plated certainty to be presented with that handsome SFWA trophy for the second time, having won it two years ago.
The choice of runner-up, if indeed, there is one - it is a rare event not to find at least one of our members with a singular train of thought which eschews the obvious - presents a far more intriguing scenario.
It is intriguing enough because of the variety of candidates but also because, other than keeper Stefan Klos, it would be difficult to name a Rangers player who warrants a nomination. One reason for that, of course, is that many of those who might have been considered have spent a lot of the season in the queue at the treatment table.
It would have been unthinkable before this season began that not one of the outfield players would have been up there challenging but, aside from the injury problems, the Ibrox play has been largely uninspiring for a long time.
Klos would warrant a place in the debate but has plenty of challengers even as the top goalie of the season, like Antti Niemi, the former Ibrox man now with Hearts, Andy Goram, also a former Rangers man who has done well with Motherwell, and Alan Main, of St Johnstone.
For me, Niemi would be a legitimate suggestion as the runner-up to Larsson, but there are plenty of others.
Celtic themselves provide some, like Joos Valgaeren and/or Johan Mjallby, both of whom have been outstanding defenders for the Parkhead club, but Dundee would also lay claim to a couple of proposals.
The man from Georgia, Georgi Nemsadze, has had a fine season for the Dens Park team in midfield, but even he would have to concede defeat to the Argentine who has been one of the most exciting and entertaining players in the country, Claudio Caniggia.
In any normal year, the entertainment value of Claudio alone would grant him the top player accolade, but he happens to have arrived in the middle of the Larsson era.
Even though he will only have only spent around half of the season back in Scotland, Dundee United midfield man Charlie Miller will not be without voting friends. However, a second place proposal would maybe need a longer stint than that.
Dunfermline have a worthy contender, at least in my eyes, in Andrius Skerla, who had a superbly consistent record at the heart of the Fife defence until he suffered a bad injury recently. He did get caught out a few times by Larsson but, then again, who didn't?
As well as Niemi, Hearts could be represented by Colin Cameron, who soldiered on impressively during the tough earlier weeks of the season and seems to have maintained his form through to the spring.
Hibs could add another goalie to the list in Nick Colgan but maybe have a more likely candidate in Russell Latapy, the skilful midfield man from Trinidad and Tobago, and an even more likely proposal, Franck Sauzee. Sauzee, the greatly experienced Frenchman, has been quite brilliant at centre of defence or
in midfield. He is one of the few players who has a 'presence' that goes beyond his skills.
Kilmarnock's Ian Durrant would have been involved if he had not been out for so long and young Keigan Parker of St Johnstone looks a possible nominee one day, but not yet.
No doubt a glaring contender has been left out and no doubt I will be reminded of him tout de suite.
I know which one I will select to chase Henrik home, but that is between me and the ballot box.
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