Peter Grant questions Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren missing out on PFA Player of the Year nomination

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It has been a rather interesting debut campaign for Benjamin Nygren at Celtic.

On the one hand, a vocal contingent of pundits and supporters continually question Nygren’s place in the Celtic starting XI, arguing that his overall contribution simply isn’t at the level required for a regular starter.

On the flip side, his defenders can point to the hard facts. Regardless of his tendency to be very quiet away from the penalty box, he scores a bucketload of goals from midfield – a knack so valuable that Peter Grant believes Nygren is fully deserving of a PFA Player of the Year nomination.

“Getting into the PFA Player of the Year,” said Grant. “Why is Nygren not in it? I am not talking about technical or whatever.

“He has scored 20 goals from midfield.”

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Should Benjamin Nygren have been nominated for PFA Player of the Year?

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Should Benjamin Nygren have been nominated for PFA Player of the Year?

With this dramatic and chaotic Scottish Premiership campaign heading towards a conclusion, the nominations for the PFA Player of the Year have been announced.

Hearts duo Claudio Braga and Lawrence Shankland were nominated alongside Motherwell stars Elijah Just and Tawanda Maswanhise.

But no place for Nygren, or in fact any Celtic player, after Daizen Maeda ran away with the award last season.

In truth, given the type of campaign that has unfolded at Celtic Park this season, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

But despite the struggles of the Scottish champions this term, the constant turn of managers, fan protests, board members leaving, shocking recruitment, and bad defeats.

Grant wanted to fight Nygren’s corner on Go Radio and how he deserved to be nominated for the PFA Player of the Year.

Grant: “Getting into the PFA Player of the Year. Why is Nygren not in it? I am not talking about technical or whatever.

“He has scored 20 goals from midfield.

Rob MacLean: “So, should he be there before Elijah Just, for instance?”

Grant: “I think Just has been brilliant. He thoroughly deserves to be in it.”

MacLean: “But he hasn’t scored 20 goals from midfield.”

Grant: “But they haven’t scored goals from midfield, who else has scored 20 goals from that?”

MacLean: “Maswanhise maybe.”

Grant: “I think he’s 22 goals, Maswanhise. Shankland isn’t.”

MacLean: “Shankland 17 and Braga 17.”

Grant: “He has got 20 from midfield, and not played a lot of games, so there is a difference.”

MacLean: “What about his midfield play, though. Are goals enough? Even though that’s all you do.”

Grant: “I would have him in the side. I look at the strikers. Usually, you would have strikers on 30. If you had two strikers, both of them would be on 30. They haven’t had that this year. Maeda just scored ten or 11.

“I am not saying Nygren is great every game or whatever. There are a lot of faults he has, but he has scored 20 goals. That has kept Celtic in the title race, without a shadow of a doubt, and he isn’t in that from midfield. I find that quite incredible (Nygren isn’t in the PFA Player of the Year shortlist).”