SFWA Young Player of the Year

The Scottish Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the SFWA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Scottish Young Player of the Year) award is given to the footballer in the Scottish football league system, who is seen to have been the best young (under 23) player of the previous season. The shortlist is compiled by the members of the Scottish Football Writers' Association (the SFWA), who also vote for the winner.

SFWA Young Player of the Year
Kieran Tierney won the award three times in consecutive seasons
Awarded for	The outstanding young player in each given Scottish football season
Country	Scotland
Presented by	Scottish Football Writers' Association
First award	2002
Final award	2024
Young Player of the Year	David Watson
Most awards	Kieran Tierney (3)

List of winners

Steven Fletcher (pictured in 2015) was the first player to win the award twice.

As of 2024, the award has been made 23 times and has been won by 20 different players. Kieran Tierney (3) and Steven Fletcher (2) are the only players to have won the award more than once. The award was first made in 2002, and was won by Motherwell forward James McFadden.^[1] As of 2019, the award had been restricted to players who are eligible for selection by the Scotland national under-21 football team.^[2][3]

Season	Nat	Player	Club	Notes
2001–02		James McFadden	Motherwell	[1]
2002–03		Zurab Khizanishvili	Dundee
2003–04		Craig Gordon	Heart of Midlothian
2004–05		Derek Riordan	Hibernian
2005–06		Steven Naismith	Kilmarnock	[4]
2006–07		Scott Brown	Hibernian
2007–08		Steven Fletcher	Hibernian	[5]
2008–09		Steven Fletcher	Hibernian	[5]
2009–10		Danny Wilson	Rangers	[6]
2010–11		David Goodwillie	Dundee United	[7]
2011–12		James Forrest	Celtic	[8]
2012–13		Stuart Armstrong	Dundee United	[9]
2013–14		Stevie May	St Johnstone	[10]
2014–15		Ryan Christie	Inverness Caledonian Thistle	[11]
2015–16		Kieran Tierney	Celtic	[12]
2016–17		Kieran Tierney	Celtic	[13]
2017–18		Kieran Tierney	Celtic	[14]
2018–19		David Turnbull	Motherwell	[1]
2019–20		Lewis Ferguson	Aberdeen	[15][16]
2020–21		Josh Doig	Hibernian	[17][18]
2021–22		Calvin Ramsay	Aberdeen	[19]
2022–23		Max Johnston	Motherwell	[3][20]
2023–24		David Watson	Kilmarnock	[21]

Breakdown of winners

Winners by club

Club	Number of wins	Winning seasons
Hibernian	5	2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2020–21
Celtic	4	2011–12, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Motherwell	3	2001–02, 2018–19, 2022–23
Aberdeen	2	2019–20, 2021–22
Dundee United	2	2010–11, 2012–13
Kilmarnock	2	2005–06, 2023–24
Inverness Caledonian Thistle	1	2014–15
St Johnstone	1	2013–14
Rangers	1	2009–10
Heart of Midlothian	1	2003–04
Dundee	1	2002–03

See also

• SFWA Footballer of the Year
• SFWA International Player of the Year
• SFWA Manager of the Year
• PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year
• PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year
• Scottish Premier League Yearly Awards