2007/08: Allan McGregor, Alan Hutton, Carlos Cuellar, Lee Wilkie, Lee Naylor, Barry Robson, Stephen Hughes, Barry Ferguson, Aiden McGeady, Scott McDonald, Steven Fletcher
2008/09: Lukasz Zaluska, Andreas Hinkel, Gary Caldwell, Lee Wilkie, Sasa Papac, Scott Brown, Bruno Aguiar, Pedro Mendes, Andrew Driver, Scott McDonald, Kris Boyd
2009/10: John Ruddy, Steven Whittaker, David Weir, Andy Webster, Sasa Papac, Steven Davis, Morgaro Gomis, James McArthur, Anthony Stokes, Kris Boyd, David Goodwillie
2010/11: Marian Kello, Steven Whittaker, Daniel Majstorovic, Michael Duberry, Emilio Izaguirre, Steven Naismith, Beram Kayal, Alexei Eremenko, David Templeton, Nikica Jelavic, David Goodwillie
Not a Caley Thistle player among them. You won't be surprised to learn that this year's team doesn't include one either.
Here's the remaining six names:
CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS: Victor Wanyama (Celtic), Ian Black (Hearts)
Honourable mentions: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen), Scott Robertson (Dundee United), Nicky Law (Motherwell), Steven Davis (Rangers)
I love Wanyama. He has a great engine, rarely gives away stupid fouls and has excellent positional sense and discipline for one so young. The Kenyan has looked just as competent at centre-back as when anchoring the midfield. He will go on to better things, mark my words. I picked Black rather than Davis partly so I could shoehorn someone with some sort of ICT link into the team, and partly because he's had the best season of his career. His goal at Ibrox was possibly the best in the country this season. Davis has stood out again for Rangers though. It's no surprise that Arnason and Robertson, both stars for their teams this season, are likely to leave the SPL this summer, while Law has stood out in Motherwell's midfield.
WIDE MIDFIELDERS: James Forrest (Celtic), Dean Shiels (Kilmarnock)
Honourable mentions: Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United), Rudi Skacel (Hearts), Jonny Hayes (Inverness), Sone Aluko (Rangers)
Errrr...I know Shiels (and probably Skacel too) has probably spent as much time this season playing through the centre as in wide areas, but I absolutely had to get him into the team. Shiels has been the heartbeat of Kilmarnock's team this year, looking every inch the player he promised to be when he was a youngster in the Hibs lineup. Forrest has been electric for Celtic and is the most impressive Scottish youngster around right now. Skacel doesn't do a whole lot more other than score goals, but my word does he score goals. I didn't go for Mackay-Steven or Aluko because the former still hasn't convinced me that he can hurt good full-backs (yet) and the latter had a pretty mediocre start to his Gers career before coming into stunning form in the last couple of months.
FORWARDS: Gary Hooper (Celtic), Jon Daly (Dundee United)
Honourable mentions: Paul Heffernan (Kilmarnock), Michael Higdon (Motherwell), Francisco Sandaza (St.Johnstone), Paul McGowan (St. Mirren)
I decided I couldn't put Nikica Jelavic in the team, just because he left in January; he was, however, outstanding up till then. Hooper's consistency is outstanding and I don't believe there is a better finisher in the country. Daly is undoubtedly the best target man in the SPL and hit goalscoring form in a big way this year - in fact he made the shortlist for Player of the Year. He gets in ahead of Sandaza, whose form seemed to take a dip after Rangers attempted to tap him up during the transfer window. Heffernan and Higdon led the line well for their clubs this season.
So that's this year's team. As with previous seasons, any of these eleven players has won the right to get a free pint from me, should they come up to me in the pub and request such.
L.
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