PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year

{{About|the men's award|the women's award|PFA Scotland Women's Players' Player of the Year}}

{{Short description|Sports award in Scotland}}

{{EngvarB|date=May 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}

{{Infobox award

| name = PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year

| subheader =

| image = File:Henrik larsson snorsjoabalen 2007 1.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Henrik Larsson won the award twice

| awarded_for = The outstanding player in each given Scottish football season

| sponsor =

| country = Scotland

| presenter = PFA Scotland

| former name =

| year = 1978

| year2 =

| holder_label = Player of the Year

| holder = Daizen Maeda

| most_awards = Scott Brown
Henrik Larsson
(2 wins each)

}}

The PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year (often called the Players' Player of the Year, or simply the Scottish Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in Scottish football.{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20040502/ai_n12588637 |title=Jackie named player of the year |work=Sunday Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |access-date=31 March 2008 |date=2 May 2004 |first=Stewart |last=Fisher |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511175402/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20040502/ai_n12588637 |archive-date=11 May 2008 }} The award has been presented since the 1977–78 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the players' trade union, the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland (PFA Scotland).{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1957296.stm|title=Amoruso is players' choice |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=28 March 2008 |date=29 April 2002}} The award was formerly known as the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year, but was renamed after the SPFA became affiliated with the (English) Professional Footballers' Association and rebranded PFA Scotland.

The first winner of the award was Rangers striker Derek Johnstone, and the first non-Scottish winner was Aberdeen goalkeeper Theo Snelders eleven years later. Although there is a separate PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award, young players remain eligible to win the senior award, and in the 2005–06 season Shaun Maloney became the first player to win both awards in the same season, a feat repeated by Aiden McGeady two years later.

A shortlist of nominees is published in April and the winner of the award, along with the winners of PFA Scotland's other annual awards, is announced at a gala event in Glasgow a few days later.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotprem.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10002~1009973,00.html |title=SPFA Player of the Year nominations |publisher=The Scottish Premier League |access-date=28 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070919114720/http://www.scotprem.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10002~1009973%2C00.html |archive-date=19 September 2007 }} The award is regarded by the players themselves as extremely prestigious, with John Hartson commenting in 2005 that "the award means a lot because it's voted by your fellow professionals"{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/4479777.stm |title=Hartson and Ricksen share award |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=28 March 2008 |date=25 April 2005}} and Shaun Maloney stating in 2006 that "there is no better accolade than to be voted for by your peers and it does mean a lot to me".{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/4951722.stm |title=Maloney in historic awards double |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=28 March 2008 |date=1 May 2006}} In 2007 the SPFA was replaced by a new body, PFA Scotland,{{cite web|url=http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.1520816.0.0.php |title=Fraser Wishart is promising a new kind of players union |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |access-date=24 April 2008 |date=5 July 2007 |first=Martin |last=Greig |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302083057/http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.1520816.0.0.php |archive-date=2 March 2009 }} but the new organisation's awards are considered to be a direct continuation of the SPFA awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/mcgeady-picks-up-double-prize-at-football-awards-1.878985|title=McGeady picks up double prize at football awards |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |access-date=24 April 2008 |quote=Celtic winger Aiden McGeady has pulled off an awards double by winning the PFA Scotland Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards....McGeady follows in the footsteps of former Parkhead team-mate Shaun Maloney, who won both awards in a single season in 2006.}}{{cite web|url=http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1861_3455977,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104212933/http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1861_3455977,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 January 2013 |title=McGeady happy with Hoops |work=teamtalk.com |access-date=24 April 2008 |quote=The only other player to have claimed the PFA Scotland double was Shaun Maloney, the Celtic midfielder who went on to carve out a career in the Premier League with Aston Villa. }}