For the first time since 2013 the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year shortlist contains no Celtic or Rangers names. Claudio Braga and Lawrence Shankland represent Hearts, while Motherwell’s Elijah Just and Tawanda Maswanhise complete the four‑man list. The award is decided by a vote of peers across the top flight, adding extra weight to the selections.

Braga has been Hearts’ leading scorer since his summer arrival, netting 14 goals and adding five assists in all 34 league outings. Shankland, last season’s winner, returned from injury to record 13 strikes from 25 games. Just contributed seven goals and eight assists for Motherwell, propelling them to fourth place. Maswanhise, the 23‑year‑old who scored just five times last term, now tops the league tally with 17 goals in 31 matches.

Hearts sit three points clear at the summit, with Rangers a point behind after their recent defeat to Motherwell. The shortlist reflects the current power shift, rewarding players who have directly influenced the title race rather than traditional Old Firm figures. Should any of the four claim the award, it would underline the growing competitiveness of Scottish football beyond Glasgow.