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Friday 31st May 2019

cinch Premiership

Premiership Team of the Season

Craig Fowler selects the Ladbrokes Premiership Team of 2018/19...

GK - Allan McGregor (Rangers)
Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis nearly sneaked in ahead of McGregor but to pick him over the Rangers custodian would have been a case of recency bias. McGregor may not have maintained his previous levels right throughout the campaign but his form in the first half of the season was sensational. Nobody came close to those heights and he was still solid enough in the latter half of 2018/19.

DR - James Tavernier (Rangers)
He's always been an excellent attacking force but this was his most dominant year by far. He led the league in crosses and assists and found the back of the net 14 times in the Premiership. Most of these were penalties but coolly converting the ball from 12 yards is a skill that shouldn't be taken for granted.

DC - Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic)
His form wavered a bit in the first half of the season and he was nearly beaten to this team by Kilmarnock's Stuart Findlay but he was imperious in the latter half of 2018/19 as Celtic finished nine points clear at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership.

DC - Craig Halkett (Livingston)
If this writer could have included Halkett, Declan Gallagher and Alan Lithgow as one player in this team then he would have. The play of the Livingston back three was one of the most surprising and positive storylines of the campaign as they gave the newly-promoted side the foundation required to stay well clear of relegation for the entire season. Halkett, as the leader of the group, gets the nod.

DL - Greg Taylor (Kilmarnock)
With Kieran Tierney missing most of the season half of the season through injury, the position of left-back was up for grabs. In a close-run contest between Taylor and Aberdeen's Max Lowe, the Killie man just edges it for the terrific consistency he showed. A real fighter and scrapper, who can also contribute to the attack, he's got a big future ahead of him. 

MR - James Forrest (Celtic)
The flying winger scooped up every award when it came to Player of the Year and it was no surprise. Forrest has improved year on year over these past three seasons and he took it up a level once again. Given greater licence to drift in more centrally, he added a consistent scoring touch, finding the back of the net 22 times for club and country.

MC - David Turnbull (Motherwell)
An incredible debut campaign from the Motherwell playmaker has been capped off by a place in this team. Stephen Robinson changed things mid-season, using the 19-year-old as a fulcrum in an attacking outfit. It may have looked like a gamble, but when you've someone as talented as Turnbull in the side it definitely isn't. He also netted 15 times.

MC - Callum McGregor (Celtic)
He would have been this writer's Player of the Year were it not for a late-season dip that just knocked him below team-mate James Forrest. Regardless of what role McGregor was asked to play, he did so with distinction, including a role as orchestrator at the base of midfield when captain Scott Brown was out injured.

ML - Ryan Kent (Rangers)
Undoubtedly the best left midfielder this campaign, Kent starred for Steven Gerrard's side after making the move up from Liverpool on loan. A tricky and direct winger, he tormented many a full-back throughout the season.

FC - Odsonne Edouard (Celtic)
Often unfairly criticised for the £9 million price tag around his neck, Edouard still had a very strong season after signing permanently from Paris St Germain. This was no more evident than in the latter part of the season when the burden of leading the attack fell on him. He responded by helping carry Celtic to the title and, ultimately, another Treble.

FC - Alfredo Morelos (Rangers)
The top goalscorer in the Ladbrokes Premiership this term, Morelos might have finished as Player of the Year were it not for his five red cards, four of which came in domestic football. While he can let his side down on occasion, there's no doubting his importance last season. Far from just a goalscorer, Morelos is often the centre of what Rangers do.

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