IT IS that time of the year when the votes are tallied up as the journalists and players themselves choose their stars of the season.

As a public service, our writers reveal who they are going to vote for in the manager, player and young player of the year.

Here is the list below. There is a lot of Celtic. There is no, we repeat no, vote for Joey Barton.

Matthew Lindsay

(Chief football writer)

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

It is worth pointing out Derek McInnes has enjoyed another exceptional season as Aberdeen manager. 

With Rangers returning to the top flight after a four-year absence, there was a lot of focus on his side. 

The general feeling in Scottish football was Aberdeen would be relegated to third spot, or would end up occupying an even lower position, with the Rangers involved once again.

But, if anything, McInnes’ men have been even better. They reached the Betfred Cup final and are in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final. In the league, too, they have performed brilliantly. The nine-game winning streak they are on at home has matched the run of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in 1986. 

But there is, of course, only one contender for Manager of the Year this season. Brendan Rodgers, regardless of whether his team completes a domestic treble, wins it hands down. 

As if anyone needed reminding, Celtic qualified for the Champions League group stages this term for the first time in three seasons under the expert guidance of Rodgers.

Once there, they recorded admirable draws against Manchester City both home and away and Borussia Moenchengladbach away. 

They have skooshed the Ladbrokes Premiership, lifted the Betfred Cup with ease and are two games away from winning the William Hill Scottish Cup.

They have beaten Rangers in three of their four meetings and drawn with them in the other. What is more, they have done it all playing a breathtaking brand of attacking football. 

Player of the Year: Scott Sinclair (Celtic)

Moussa Dembele has hogged the headlines this season with the number of goals he has scored for Celtic – and rightly so. 

The 20-year-old French striker has been an absolute steal at £500,000. His hat-trick in the 5-1 defeat over Rangers at Parkhead in September is the highlight of an impressive campaign. He is sure to be the subject of some big-money offers this summer. 

Stuart Armstrong has also done superbly since being moved into his favoured position in central midfield, while Scott Brown has been a man reborn since getting a long-overdue break last summer.  

But, for me, Scott Sinclair has been the stand-out player in the country. I must admit that I questioned the wisdom of his signing when he arrived. Paying £4.5m for a 27-year-old winger who had hardly played in the last five seasons seemed something of a gamble.

But Sinclair has been sensational. He has pitched in with 18 goals, including two in wins against Rangers, but he has brought far more to Brendan Rodgers’ team than that. He is skilful, direct, powerful, fast and intelligent. He has more than justified his transfer fee.

Young Player of the Year: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

The left-back has gone from strength to strength under new manager Rodgers, cementing his position as a first-team regular at Celtic and breaking through into the Scotland side. 

The 19-year-old didn’t look out of his depth in the three Champions League games against Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach before picking up an injury and having to undergo surgery. 

When he came back into the fray in January it was as if he had never been away. Tierney’s form in the second half of the season has been scintillating. The partnership he has forged with Scott Sinclair has been utterly devastating. 

Tierney even showed his versatility to slot in at right-back against Slovenia for Gordon Strachan’s side last week. There has been nobody to touch him. It is no wonder Manchester United and others have been linked with him. 

Neil Cameron

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

In 1978 after a season that saw Jock Wallace’s Rangers win a treble with some aplomb, the football writers of the day voted Billy McNeill, then at Aberdeen, as best manager in the country. If that were to happen today, the internet would implode. 

However, if Jim Duffy could win promotion with Morton to the Championship, either as league winners or through the play-offs, with members of his squad on a couple of hundred quid a week, few could begrudge him the title.

That said, for now you can’t look past the guy at Celtic Park. Rodgers got the club to the Champions League and filled stands again. Add a clean sweep of trophies and he has to win. It will be fascinating to see what he does next.

A notable mention once again goes to Tommy Wright for his work at 
St Johnstone. The Perth men have made the top six for the past six years. The only other team to do this? Celtic.

Player of the Year: Scott Brown (Celtic)

Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair would run their captain close, with a special tip of the cap to the excellent Johnny Hayes at Aberdeen, but this has been Brown’s season.

From the very start, it was the midfielder who set the tone for what has been an incredible campaign.

The captain was terrific in Europe, dominant domestically and behind the scenes has been Rodgers’ real No.2.

He has been on another level in some games, proving that Joey Barton might have been slightly off the mark when slagging off the man who finished his career at Rangers.

Young Player of the Year: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

Even if we were allowed to vote for Dembele – the football writers can only choose young players eligible to play for Scotland – I would still go for Tierney, despite him missing a couple of months through injury.

Before that he was brilliant. Since his comeback he has hardly put a foot wrong, even at right-back in Scotland colours. This 19-year-old is a superstar and, for me, he is miles above any young player in the country.

Alison McConnell

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

Impossible to look past Brendan Rodgers. The 44-year-old could become only the third man in Celtic’s history to lead the club to a domestic treble this season, while the manner of the football on offer, married to the sheer relentlessness of the team, has put the Parkhead side head and shoulders above the rest.

In fairness, Jim Duffy has been quietly working miracles in Greenock with Morton but, for me, the achievements of Celtic make Rodgers the obvious candidate.

Player of the Year: Scott Sinclair (Celtic)

This is more difficult, but what you can say with some certainty is that whoever takes this one will come from Celtic’s stable. If Moussa Dembele hits the 40-goal mark he has to get it, although the striker had an off patch in December and has dipped again in recent weeks. 

How he finishes may well determine whether he wins it or not. Scott Brown has been a notable captain for Celtic this season, all the more remarkable for the fact his Hoops career looked almost dead and buried a year ago.

However, for me, it is Scott Sinclair who has been pivotal to the way Celtic have performed. His goals, pace and aggression have laid the foundations for how Rodgers sets his team out.

Young Player of the Year: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

The teenager has been around the first team at Celtic for only 18 months but looks as comfortable as anyone. His performances, both domestically as well as in the Champions League, are to a consistently high standard and it has been a pleasure to watch the left-back not only sustain the standard he set himself last season, but to build on that. 

Graeme Macpherson

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

There’s an argument that the man working with the biggest budget ought to be the best manager year on year. And that a case could be made for Jim Duffy if he goes on to take Morton up to the Premiership.

But Brendan Rodgers deserves this award not just for delivering at least two, possibly three, titles in his maiden season at Celtic, but for breathing fresh life into a club that had started to stagnate under Ronny Deila.
Rodgers’ influence has been felt throughout every facet of the club.

He has reinvigorated the Celtic team, made astute signings, brought the very best out of previously under-performing players, and instilled an air of professionalism that can be seen on every step of the team’s unbeaten run. Off the field he’s making plans for better training facilities and an improved playing surface at Celtic Park. He is by far the most worthy candidate for this award. 

Player of the Year: Scott Sinclair (Celtic)

You could make a case for one or two non-Celtic players – Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn of Aberdeen and maybe Hearts’ Jamie Walker – but, beyond that, it’s any one of up to six from the Parkhead squad.

Moussa Dembele, Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, James Forrest and Jozo Simunovic have all impressed at different times, but it is Scott Sinclair who leads the pack. 

Looking to re-establish himself after several fallow years down south, the 27-year-old scored on his debut, had reached double figures by Bonfire Night, and has been a model of consistency.

Sinclair said recently that he had fallen back in love with football again, and he in turn has become a firm favourite with the Celtic fans. The lure of Champions League football will hopefully keep him in Scottish football for several more years to come. 

Young Player of the Year: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)

Such is Tierney’s tenacity and burgeoning talent that he has been able to miss two months of the season due to injury and still be considered the country’s best young player.

In truth, it is difficult to recall the 19-year-old ever having a bad game, making it hardly a surprise that scouts from all over Europe are watching the full-back on a weekly basis. His slightly inelegant gait means he does not move like your average modern-day professional but his speed and effectiveness in attack, and solidity at the back, make him one to watch. 

Scott Mullen

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

Sam Allardyce may have given us Scots the one solitary highlight from the realm of international football, but of course a nomination for the man with the 100 per cent win record with England would only be in jest.

While Big Sam worked wonders in taking The FA to new levels of farce one thought could never be reached, the leap of Celtic’s play under Brendan Rodgers has been perhaps even more colossal. Let’s not forget just how poor this squad were when a very average Rangers team rightly beat them in the Scottish Cup semi-final last year. 

Player of the Year: Stuart Armstrong (Celtic)

There is a string of candidates for this accolade (most of them play in green and white) but for me it has to be the man who was called up for the Scotland squad to face Slovenia.

Much like many of his Parkhead peers, Armstrong has transformed himself not just into an elite athlete, but a fantastic footballer. Anyone who has spoken to the articulate law student would tell you he’s got a brain between his ears, something that isn’t always a given it has to be said. Away from his 12 goals for Celtic this season, you only need to look at how Rodgers’ team regressed against Rangers in the last Old Firm game when he left the park.

Young Player of the Year: John McGinn (Hibernian)

It may be unfashionable to delve into the second tier for this one, but for me it has to be John McGinn. During his time at St Mirren it was clear at that stage he was a tenacious talent. 

The likes of Kieran Tierney deserve credible mentions here but McGinn has embedded himself as the heart of this Easter Road side which looks set to win automatic promotion. Well, just about.

Like Armstrong, expect him to play a key part in Scotland’s never-ending search for a major finals place over the coming decade.

Chris Jack

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

As is often the case with these awards, it is difficult to say who should win when there is still plenty of football to be played this season. What can be said, though, is that there are only two candidates here.

If Morton miss out on promotion to the Premiership, Jim Duffy will probably be denied the Manager of the Year prize as well. But the award will probably, and rightly, go to Brendan Rodgers. It has been an almost flawless campaign for Celtic and the transformation at Parkhead is down to their boss.

Player of the Year: Moussa Dembele (Celtic)

While a case can be made for the best boss award to go to Cappielow rather than Parkhead, there is no doubt about the destination of the player prize.

The acquisitions of Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair were hugely significant for Celtic last summer and both have more than repaid Rodgers’ faith in them. It is the Frenchman who just gets the nod here, though.

Dembele hasn’t done enough yet to justify the over-the-top talk of a £40m price tag but his goal return and overall performance levels mark him out as a potential star of the future.

Young Player of the Year: Kieran Tierney (Celtic) 

The left-back already has a few pieces of silverware to his credit and there will surely be many more to come in his career if he can continue on his current trajectory.

His strike in the 6-0 win over Inverness Caley Thistle in February 
is his only goal of the campaign to date and that is something he will surely be looking to add to his impressive all-round game.

Graeme McGarry

Manager of the Year: Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

No surprises with this one. Brendan Rodgers has a double secured at the very least, he may go on to bag the treble and there is a very real chance they could go through the season unbeaten.

His players have bought into his methods and their subsequent improvement has been marked as a result, and he has brought the fans flooding back to Celtic Park. Honourable mention for Jim Duffy at Morton, who has worked wonders to have them challenging at the top end of the Championship.

Player of the Year: Scott Sinclair (Celtic)

Moussa Dembele may be getting the lion’s share of headlines and attention for his goalscoring heroics, but the contribution of Sinclair has been even more impressive in my opinion. He set the tone for Celtic’s season with his late winner at Tynecastle on the opening day, and his goals allied to his 10 assists makes him the stand-out contender.

Young Player of the Year: Liam Lindsay (Partick Thistle) 

It may be difficult for Lindsay to edge out the outstanding Kieran Tierney for this one, but I think he deserves recognition for developing into one of the finest centre-backs in the country.

The 21-year-old has been a rock for Partick Thistle during this campaign after recovering from some high-profile errors last season, and he has been the major reason behind 13 clean sheets for Thistle this term. Has also chipped in with seven goals, no mean feat for a centre-half.

The final tally

Manager of the Year

Brendan Rodgers (Celtic) - 7

Player of the Year

Scott Sinclair (Celtic) - 4

Scott Brown (Celtic) - 1

Stuart Armstrong (Celtic) - 1

Moussa Dembele (Celtic) - 1

Young Player of the Year

Kieran Tierney (Celtic) - 5

John McGinn (Hibernian) - 1

Liam Lindsay (Partick Thistle) - 1