Given that Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side are defined by their attacking output and the manner in which they impose themselves on opposition teams, you may be forgiven for thinking our player of the year awards may go to a midfielder, winger or striker.
That’s not the case though. Far from it. When racking my brain for an answer who is our outstanding candidate for honours this year, I keep coming back to one man – Cameron Carter-Vickers.
First off, it has to be noted that if Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota managed to come through the whole season without injuries then they’d probably be the clear frontrunners. The fact is though Jota missed a big chunk of the campaign, while Kyogo has yet to return. Both have been superb.
In terms of sheer consistency and importance to the team, then Carter-Vickers is undoubtedly up there in the arguments for me.
The 24-year-old has been Ange’s go-to man since signing at the end of August, starting all but one of the league games he’s been available for.
You can look to Joe Hart, Callum McGregor and even Anthony Ralston as other contenders but the USA international has been a rock for Celtic at a time we needed one most.
His composure and strength in the heart of the Celtic defence have been crucial in cultivating by far the best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership.
It’s not just his defensive work either. Increasingly both Carter-Vickers and Starfelt have been instrumental in starting Celtic’s good attacking play.
The on-loan Spurs man excels at this too, rarely giving the ball away and getting ever more comfortable bringing the ball forward.
I wouldn’t consider him a perfect player. No one is at Celtic right now – everyone’s on a road of improvement. Certainly, it’d be nice to see him part of a set-piece resurgence at the Bhoys and dominate both boxes.
However, I do think he is one of the key names in the mix and he may even be the favourite. I don’t think anyone would have predicted that when he arrived in the summer transfer window.
It’s nearly voting season for these awards so his form in the closing stages won’t necessarily matter when it comes to the honours, but who’d bet against him shining even further between now and May? Certainly not me.
In other news, The longer our rivals whine about injustices the better it is for Celtic.
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