With the Scottish Premiership season done and dusted—whether we want it to be or not—it’s time for us to present our annual Scottish team of the season.
The Full Scottish with Brian P. Dunleavy
We’ll go with a straight 4-4-2, because we’re old-school.
Goalkeeper—Fraser Forster, Celtic
We debated making loan players ineligible, but the big Englishman’s numbers are slightly better than Allan McGregor’s at Rangers, so he gets the nod. Whether he returns to Southampton this summer remains to be seen.
Left back—Andrew Considine, Aberdeen
With Kieran Tierney gone to Arsenal, there was suddenly wide open competition at this spot. Celtic’s Jeremie Frimpong may have the most star potential, but Considine remains a consistent performer in the back four for the Dons.
Photo: Aberdeen FC
Central Defender: Christopher Jullien, Celtic
What a revelation the Frenchman has been since his arrival in Glasgow. An infectious smile belies a strong presence in the heart of the Hoops’ back four. Scoring the winning goal in the League Cup final didn’t hurt his reputation either.
Central Defender: Kristoffer Ajer, Celtic
By most measures, the young Norwegian didn’t have his best season in Celtic colors. He seemed disinterested at times, perhaps an inkling that the stories—fueled by his agent—of his desire to leave Glasgow this summer are true. Still, you don’t attract interest from the likes of Inter Milan and Real Madrid, reportedly, if you aren’t a player.
Right back—Liam Donnelly, Motherwell
True, the Irishman found his game for the Steelmen this term playing in the middle of the park, but we wanted to make sure of his inclusion in the team so we put him here, where he has played for club and country (Northern Ireland) in the past.
Donnelly scored 11 goals in 29 appearances for Motherwell this season—more than he had netted in his entire career, at various stops with lower-league sides in England, to this point.
Midfield—Callum McGregor, Celtic
Some among the Celtic support have alleged that McGregor had a down season in 2019-20. If that’s his worst, Hoops opponents would hate to see his best. Called Celtic’s “captain in waiting,”
McGregor was, as usual, the model of consistency, appearing in 50 matches across all competitions for Neil Lennon’s side, typically alongside current captain Scott Brown. McGregor recently pledged to stick around for the “10,” if not longer, despite his reportedly being a target for former manager Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.
Midfield—James Forrest, Celtic
“Wee Jamesy” has manned the wing on the right-hand side of the Hoops’ midfield since the nine-in-a-row began. With fitness improved over the years, and footballing smarts enhanced with age, the quiet Forrest seems to get better with each passing season.
Midfield—Joe Aribo, Rangers
In just one season at Ibrox, the Nigerian (by way of England) Aribo has already become the engine of Steven Gerrard’s side. As consistent as Celtic’s McGregor (48 appearances), and seemingly just as intelligent and industrious, Rangers would do well to keep the man around for the long term.
Midfield—Ryan Christie, Celtic
Really, this was the only tough decision in our team this time around. However, Christie’s only real fault is that his 2019-20 campaign didn’t live up to the sheer drama of his meteoric rise the season prior. He still scored 17 goals for Celtic this season, despite missing a lot of action due to injury and, more recently, the return of Tom Rogic.
Striker—Odsonne Edouard, Celtic
This is a no-brainer. The Frenchman was, by far, the most dynamic player in Scotland in 2019-20, with 28 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions.
Though he makes it look easy, he’s won acclaim from teammates and opponents alike for his work rate and footballing sense. No wonder he’s reportedly attracting interest from Arsenal and Manchester United down south, though we’re sure Neil Lennon desperately wants to keep him in Glasgow for 10 in a row.
Striker—Alfredo Morelos, Rangers
The debate as to who’s better—Edouard or Morelos—continues to rage in and around Glasgow. Luckily, we don’t have to choose. The combustible Colombian netted 29 goals in 46 appearances across all competitions for Gerrard’s side, and appears to have mellowed and matured to boot.