CALLUM McGregor last night claimed Celtic captain Scott Brown is in the best form of his life this season - and tipped him to run team mate James Forrest close in the Player of the Year awards.

Brown recovered from an appalling foul by his Ross County counterpart Andrew Davies at Parkhead on Saturday to lead his side to a 3-0 win that sent them 12 points clear at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership.

McGregor admitted his fellow midfielder has been an inspiration to those around him and backed him to challenge strongly for the PFA Scotland and Scottish Football Writers’ Association awards which will be handed out next month.

“Broony just seems to be getting better and better, fitness levels, strength, everything,” he said. “He is a really, really top player and an example for the boys in the changing room to follow.

“He’s been doing it for many, many years now at Celtic, but especially the last two seasons. He has really kicked on again. He’s a massive inspiration for the boys on the pitch.

“I think a lot of people actually underestimate how good a player he is as well. Everybody mentions his work rate and the intensity of everything he does, but he is actually a really good footballer as well.

“You can see that in the Champions League games when his pass success rate is always massive. It’s credit to how good a footballer he is as well.

“He has been excellent for us and we are delighted to have him. I think if you ask anybody, they will respect what he has done at this club. To be at that level for 10-plus years is incredible. He is a massive inspiration and a great example for our boys.

“I think he will be right up there when it comes to the Player of the Year awards. He sets the tone every week. I think James has had a great season as well. So it would probably be a toss-up between those two.”

Davies was the latest player to be red carded for a bad challenge on Brown this season – Sam Cosgrove of Aberdeen suffered the same fate in a Premiership game at Pittodrie back in February.

But McGregor feels the rough treatment the 32-year-old, who is in his testimonial season at Celtic, is subjected to backfires on their opponents.

“It was a bad one so the referee made a good decision,” he said. “From then on, they were hanging on, but that’s credit to us. We were keeping the same momentum and tempo and getting the goals.

“You see him get kicked that many times, people trying to wind him up, and he always seems to come out on top. That’s just Broony, the way he is.

"It’s obviously not working is it? They keep getting boys sent off. Maybe they are trying to target him and wind him up, but you can see the mature side of him.

“He is just trying to play his game and it ends up that they make the mistake, end up getting sent off and their team gets punished because of it.

“He’ll never get voted for Player of the Year by rival players. Maybe he needs to calm down a bit. Seriously, though, he has been excellent for us.”

Meanwhile, McGregor has admitted Celtic, who are 12 points clear with seven games remaining, would like to wrap up their seventh consecutive Scottish title as quickly as possible.

“When you look at that last period last season we really had our foot to the floor,” he said. “We won the games and got the title wrapped up. That’s what our aim will be over the next few weeks or so, to try to really get the title won.”