Andy Halliday says there is a new ‘clear favourite’ for Celtic’s Player of the Year

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Celtic are going to scoop up all the main awards at the end of the season.

Everyone knows that it’s a matter of time before Celtic are champions of Scotland again, but there is also a chance to win the Treble.

Even with Brendan Rodgers’ side holding a 16-point lead at the top of the Premiership table, the players and the team aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	CelticCeltic	29	24	3	2	87	17	70	75
2	RangersRangers	29	18	5	6	59	26	33	59
3	HibernianHibernian	29	11	10	8	44	40	4	43
4	AberdeenAberdeen	29	12	6	11	38	46	-8	42

That’s been proven in the last two matches, as Celtic have netted ten goals, including five in Paisley on Saturday against St Mirren.

As per, it was the usual suspects showcasing their worth, including the added surprise of super sub Hyunjun Yang prouding his best game since moving to Glasgow in 2023.

One of the reasons why Yang has struggled for regular starts is because of the sheer quality ahead of him, as Andy Halliday lauded those men, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda.

READ MORE: Celtic told they have a ‘modern-day icon’ who is now ‘irreplaceable’ unlike Nicolas Kuhn

Andy Halliday says Daizen Maeda has passed Nicolas Kuhn as the ‘clear’ Player of the Year at Celtic

Before Christmas, you would have probably said that Kuhn was the best-performing player in Scotland, especially given how much he had improved, as Maeda was always there, but just going steadily along.

But, since the turn of the year, the all-action forward from Japan has gone to another level that even Kuhn can’t even keep up.

Halliday stated that, whilst the German was the ‘early’ front-runner for Player of the Year in Scotland, he thinks that Maeda is now the ‘clear favourite’, as he told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard.

“I felt, at the start of the season, there has definitely been a player in Yang,” said Halliday. “I think the issue has always been that he has been more of an impact player for Celtic.

“I still feel, any time he has been given that starting berth, it’s where he has failed to live up to the hype.

“But it’s difficult because he is up against a guy in Nicolas Kuhn, who was the early favourite and front-runner for Player of the Year.

“On the other side of him, you have got Jota, who has just come into the building and Maeda, who is now the clear favourite for Player of the Year towards the end of the season.”

Maeda and Kuhn’s stats for Celtic this season

You have got to feel sorry for players like Yang because, even with his double against St Mirren, he still won’t be starting against Hibernian in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

That’s because Maeda and Kuhn are just hitting ridiculous numbers this season.

What helps Yang is that Maeda has gone down the middle, but that left-sided spot is then taken up by the returning Jota.

And Jota has been performing like he has never been away, so it then makes it even more difficult for Yang.