SPFL Team of the Week

Craig Fowler selects his SPFL Team of the Week in a  3-5-2 formation, with Rangers defender Marius Zaliukas the star man.

Goalkeeper - Cammy Bell (Rangers)
There's little doubt Hibernian battered Rangers in the opening 20 minutes of Saturday's play-off semi-final second leg, and had another keeper been trusted with the task of keeping them out then it might have been Alan Stubbs' men, and not Stuart McCall's, getting ready to face Motherwell this Thursday. Bell made a reflex save to thwart Liam Craig before getting a vital touch to deny Jason Cummings a simple tap-in during the first half, but it was a save after the break which stood out  most. Farid El Alagui, just off the bench, struck a sweet shot from the edge of the area that was heading into the far corner before Bell diverted it away with a strong one-handed stop.

Right wing-back - Ryan McGowan (Dundee United)
It's not been the best few months for Dundee United but one positive has been former Hearts right-back and Australia international Ryan McGowan. Even when he's not at his best, the supporters appreciate his tireless work down the right-hand side, especially when it's in a derby match. These frantic, high-octane encounters suit someone of McGowan's enthusiasm and energy down to the ground and he put in another 90 minutes of graft in Sunday's 3-0 win over Dundee.

Centre-back - Sean Dillon (Dundee United)
Having beaten their rivals 3-1 in the previous derby match, Dundee fans were disheartened to see their side create so little in the league's final game. While their own attackers will have to share some of the blame, there is no doubt they came up against a United back-line in fine form. Dillon led the unit superbly with a classic captain's performance.

Centre-back - Virgil van Dijk (Celtic)
Why include a Celtic centre-back for his work on a day when his opponents were thinking ahead to the Scottish Cup Final? Well, van Dijk isn't just in the side for his defensive abilities. Oh no. What makes the Dutchman so special is his ability to influence a game in the other penalty area. In the first half, particularly, the centre-back was at the heart of three great chances, including the assist for Stefan Scepovic to open the scoring. Add that to a flawless defensive display and he is more than worthy of this inclusion.

Centre-back - Marius Zaliukas (Rangers)
Two incredible performances in the space of a week from the former Hearts centre-back helped his new club rise above Hibernian and into the play-off final. Quite simply, the Lithuanian was imperious in both legs of the semi-final. Since Stuart McCall brought him in from the cold he's barely put a foot wrong - his aerial prowess and almost prophetic anticipation have helped make Rangers a much stronger defensive unit. A further two performances like these and the Ibrox club will be back in the top flight come Sunday. For the meantime, he is this week's star man.

Left wing-back - Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic)
The Honduran grabbed two assists in what was just another day at the office for the galloping full-back who always seems to be covering two positions in any Scottish Premiership game. Izaguirre and van Dijk are what make this Celtic team so difficult to deal with. Other teams can plan to stop the numerous attacking threats Celtic have further up the park, but it's too hard to legislate for members of the back four being so influential in and around the penalty area.

Central midfield - Murray Davidson (St Johnstone)
It's not been a happy couple of years for the midfielder, who was once viewed as one of Scottish football's hottest prospects. Lack of a full pre-season saw a slow start to last campaign before a serious knee injury led to more of the same issues this term. We're now being treated to the old Murray Davidson as his form in St Johnstone's unbeaten post-split campaign has been consistently of a high standard. Against Aberdeen on Sunday he never put a foot wrong in a tense encounter that saw Saints pick up an impressive victory that proved crucial in clinching a top-four spot and, potentially, a place in Europe next term.

Central midfield - Nir Bitton (Celtic)
Another classy showing from the Celtic midfielder, who has gone from strength to strength the longer this season has gone on. His duality is what makes him a potential star. He's so composed in possession. If you hadn't watched him play and someone told you about him, you'd expect someone about half his size. Midfielders well over 6ft aren't supposed to be doing 'Maradona turns' in the centre of the park. If he can replicate next season the form he's shown in the latter months of this campaign then he'll be a great outside bet for Player of the Year.

Central midfield - John Souttar (Dundee United)
The 18-year-old has taken to his new role in the centre of the park like a duck to water. In defence, he always represented a conundrum for Jackie McNamara. The talent was there and obviously the manager wanted him to play so he could develop, but the kind of mistakes that naturally come from younger players can prove more costly. Midfield was always an option, but with better technical players in that area there was the chance he could get lost in the crowd. Even without the added protection of two additional central midfield partners on Sunday, as United went to a 4-4-2, Souttar still shone against Dundee. The highlight was his second-half run, which almost produced a Goal of the Season contender.

Forward - Liam Boyce (Ross County)
There aren't a whole lot of players currently contracted to the Dingwall club for next season. However, with Liam Boyce and Craig Curran sticking around, and Brian Graham providing an additional option, there shouldn't be much cause for worry with regards to the attack. Boyce was a nightmare for the Kilmarnock defence to deal with in Saturday's 2-1 come-from-behind win for the visiting Staggies. His intelligent movement off the ball gave the opposition too much to handle and, having netted County's equaliser, taking his tally to seven goals in his past seven games, he then provided the assist for Rocco Quinn to score the winner.

Forward - Stefan Scepovic (Celtic)
To put it mildly, four league goals is not a great return on a player who cost upwards of £2m. However, for Celtic fans hoping their Serbian striker will come good, it was a promising performance from a player who, at the very least, looks like he has something to prove. Ronny Deila has taken great pride in how he's managed to make Scepovic's fellow attacking team-mate Leigh Griffiths a more rounded player, and it's easy to assume he won't want to write off last summer's star buy just yet. The striker, to his credit, showed great determination and work-rate throughout the game and was rewarded with two goals.