PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year

The PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, formerly known as the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year, is named at the end of every Scottish football season. The members of the Professional Footballers' Association Scotland vote on which of its young members played the best football in the previous year. The award was first given in 1978, to Graeme Payne. The Bulgarian international Stiliyan Petrov was the first non-Scottish player to win the award, when he did so in

PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year
Kieran Tierney won the award three times in consecutive seasons
Awarded for	The outstanding young player in each given Scottish football season
Country	Scotland
Presented by	PFA Scotland
First award	1978
Young Player of the Year	Lennon Miller
Most awards	Kieran Tierney (3)

List of winners

The first foreign winner of the award was Stiliyan Petrov, in 2001

Dundee United left-back Andy Robertson won the award in 2014

As of 2025, the award has been presented 47 times and won by 42 different players. Kieran Tierney (3), Craig Levein (2), Eoin Jess (2) and Phil O'Donnell (2) are the players who have won the award more than once.

Season	Nat	Player	Club	Notes	Ref
1977–78		Graeme Payne	Dundee United
1978–79		Ray Stewart	Dundee United
1979–80		John MacDonald	Rangers
1980–81		Charlie Nicholas	Celtic		[1]
1981–82		Frank McAvennie	St Mirren		[2]
1982–83		Paul McStay	Celtic		[3]
1983–84		John Robertson	Heart of Midlothian
1984–85		Craig Levein	Heart of Midlothian
1985–86		Craig Levein	Heart of Midlothian
1986–87		Robert Fleck	Rangers
1987–88		John Collins	Hibernian
1988–89		Billy McKinlay	Dundee United
1989–90		Scott Crabbe	Heart of Midlothian
1990–91		Eoin Jess	Aberdeen
1991–92		Phil O'Donnell	Motherwell
1992–93		Eoin Jess	Aberdeen
1993–94		Phil O'Donnell	Motherwell
1994–95		Charlie Miller	Rangers
1995–96		Jackie McNamara	Celtic
1996–97		Robbie Winters	Dundee United
1997–98		Gary Naysmith	Heart of Midlothian
1998–99		Barry Ferguson	Rangers
1999–00		Kenny Miller	Hibernian
2000–01		Stiliyan Petrov	Celtic		[4]
2001–02		Kevin McNaughton	Aberdeen		[5]
2002–03		James McFadden	Motherwell		[6]
2003–04		Stephen Pearson	Celtic		[7]
2004–05		Derek Riordan	Hibernian	Also won the SFWA award.	[8]
2005–06		Shaun Maloney	Celtic		[9]
2006–07		Steven Naismith	Kilmarnock		[10]
2007–08		Aiden McGeady	Celtic		[11]
2008–09		James McCarthy	Hamilton Academical		[11]
2009–10		Danny Wilson	Rangers	Also won the SFWA award.	[12]
2010–11		David Goodwillie	Dundee United	Also won the SFWA award.	[13]
2011–12		James Forrest	Celtic	Also won the SFWA award.	[14]
2012–13		Leigh Griffiths	Hibernian	Also won the SFWA Footballer of the Year award.	[15]
2013–14		Andy Robertson	Dundee United		[16]
2014–15		Jason Denayer	Celtic		[17]
2015–16		Kieran Tierney	Celtic	Also won the SFWA award.	[18]
2016–17		Kieran Tierney	Celtic	Also won the SFWA award.	[19]
2017–18		Kieran Tierney	Celtic	Also won the SFWA award.	[20]
2018–19		Ryan Kent	Rangers		[21]
2019–20	—	—	—	Due to the covid-19 pandemic, PFA Scotland cancelled their awards for the 2019–20 season.	[22]
2020–21		David Turnbull	Celtic		[23][24]
2021–22		Liel Abada	Celtic		[25]
2022–23		Malik Tillman	Rangers		[26]
2023–24		David Watson	Kilmarnock	Also won the SFWA award.	[27]
2024–25		Lennon Miller	Motherwell	Also won the SFWA award.	[28]

Breakdown of winners

Winners by club

Club	Number of wins	Winning seasons
Celtic	14	1980–81, 1982–83, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22
Rangers	7	1979–80, 1980–87, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2022–23
Dundee United	6	1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, 1996–97, 2010–11, 2013–14
Heart of Midlothian	5	1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1997–98
Hibernian	4	1987–88, 1999–00, 2004–05, 2012–13
Motherwell	4	1991–92, 1993–94, 2002–03, 2024–25
Aberdeen	3	1990–91, 1992–93, 2001–02
Kilmarnock	2	2006–07, 2023–24
Hamilton Academical	1	2008–09
St Mirren	1	1981–82

Winners by country

Country	Number of wins	Winning seasons
Scotland	40	1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2023–24, 2024–25
Republic of Ireland	2	2007–08, 2008–09
Belgium	1	2014–15
Bulgaria	1	2000–01
England	1	2018–19
Israel	1	2021–22
United States	1	2022–23

See also

• PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year
• PFA Scotland Manager of the Year
• SFWA Young Player of the Year