Hearts winger Andy Driver is in the running to win the PFA Young Player Of The Year award on May 3.
He has been shortlisted along with Hibs striker Steven Fletcher and Hamilton Accies pair James McArthur and James McCarthy for the coveted award, which will be presented at a ceremony in Glasgow on the aforementioned date.
This is just reward for the efforts of Driver this season. I know that there are some who feel that he is a tad on the inconsistent side, but seriously, show me a winger who doesn’t fall into this category! For me he has been as consistent as pretty much any other winger that Hearts have had over the years, and I would include the better ones like Neil McCann and Allan Johnston in that assessment. He perhaps has a bit to go to be looked upon with the same affection as someone like John Colquhoun, but if Driver does stay at Tynecastle for the next few years and continues to improve at the rate he has so far, then he could certainly at least aspire to something approaching that sort of status – particularly if he can help the club to another trophy win.
As for Driver’s rivals for the award, the fact that Fletcher is in there doesn’t surprise me, even though I really don’t rate the guy at all. This is nothing to do with the fact that he plays for Hibs incidentally – he has just never done anything to suggest that he merits the status that the media have given him in my view. I also know quite a few Hibs fans who would agree with that, but there are some players who for whatever reason, always seem to obtain big reputations.
McCarthy and McArthur are not players that I’ve seen often enough to judge whether or not they would merit the award, but on the few occasions that I have seen them, they have certainly shown that they have something about them. It’s also a pretty big feather in the cap of Hamilton Accies that they have two players up for such a prestigious award given the season that they’ve had in the SPL, so you have to applaud their efforts for that.
Regardless of who ends up getting the award though, from a Hearts point of view it’s great that we’ve had at least one player who’s done enough in the eyes of their fellow pros to be complimented in this way. The only thing I’m surprised about is that Lee Wallace wasn’t up there along with Driver, but you can’t have everything I suppose!
Good luck to Driver in May….
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I think McCarthy will win it as his name has been in the press a lot linking him with the OF. I don’t understand Flecther’s inclusion. This is young player of the year not young player of the last 3 months. Flecther had a nightmare early and mid season. Driver for me has been in the team and playing every week and should have a chance of winning it but McCarthy has the OF love link. I’m still trying to work out Scott Brown’s inclusion in player of the year, which if Celtic win the league he will get. Surely this is doing nothing more than rewarding him for kicking and punching other teams players up and down the park? Still joking aside he has kept his place despite personal problems/tragedies.
I think your last sentence sums it up there Dalien. I also don’t see where Scott Brown deserves a mention for POTY, but for those in the West it just seems to be a stick-on that he’ll win it. Which he probably will, since it’s hardly a fair vote… but there have been better footballers this season in the SPL. Bruno Aguiar for one.
I take it you two lads had a nice evening at alcoholics anonymous 🙂 Brown hands down (it rhymes) There is no other candidate. Davis and Mendez LMAO! Those two clowns aren’t even the vermins player of the year. I do agree though that this list is usually flawed. They vote in like February! Ridiculous!
I saw nominations for POTY which were Brown, Caldwell, Mendez and Davis (is this it?). While I’m not particularly suggesting that any of these players might not be worthy, to continually nominate only OF players is perhaps missing the, relatively, greater achievement of players from “lesser” clubs who have to shine not only against the same teams that the aforementioned do but ALSO against the SPL top two. Just a thought nomination committee – and while you’re at it ….. there’s only one possibility for MOTY!
“One Possibility for MOTY!”……….and he didn’t even get on the shortlist.
I didn’t appreciate that when I wrote that reply – what a complete pile of utter ……….
“there’s only one possibility for MOTY” I take it you Hearts bhoys think that it should have been Mixu then 😀
Mixu by a considerable distance for me…….as for Scott Brown, I am STILL attempting to see what it is that makes so many people rate him….other than the green and white hooped shirt that is….!
Don’t forget the blue of Scotland aswell!
…how could I possibly forget!