Can Shankland break Old Firm player of the year dominance?

Only once since the 1990/91 season has a player plying their trade for a team other than Celtic or Rangers won the PFA Scotland player of the year award.

Lawrence Shankland will be hoping to join Michael Higdon on the small list of non-Old Firm players to claim the prize in recent times as he looks to match the striker's exploits for Motherwell in 2012/13.

And given the Hearts striker is the Premiership's top scorer, he may well have a decent chance.

His 21 league goals are only part of the story though - this has been a huge season for Shankland as a leader at Tynecastle.

With Craig Gordon absent for much of the campaign, the 28-year-old has taken on the captain's armband with assurance, spearheading Hearts' likely charge back to third place and group stage European football.

His technical ability and link-up play are still underrated outwith Gorgie, though the Hearts fans who watch him week in, week out know just how good a footballer Shankland is.

Even when noise of a potential departure wouldn't go away in January, the frontman did what he does best - score goals. What other people said didn't seem to affect him.

And while the summer window is likely to prompt similar murmurs, for now, the Hearts support have a player they can idolise, adore, and legitimately call one of the best talents in the division.