PFA Awards: Motherwell star Lennon Miller emulates James McFadden, as three Lanarkshire stars win prizes on the night
The PFA Scotland Player of the Year Awards were held last night, with plenty of success for Lanarkshire footballers
Lennon Miller is celebrating after being crowned the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year last night - becoming the first Motherwell player since James McFadden in 2003 to claim the award.
The 18-year-old midfielder, who hails from Wishaw, has had a fine season for the Steelmen and earned his first call-up to the Scotland A squad earlier this year.
And his performances have been recognised by his peers, with Miller taking the young player prize on a night two of his fellow Lanarkshire players also won awards.
Rutherglen ace Alan Trouten won League Player of the Year after guiding East Fife to the play-offs this season, becoming the oldest player to win a PFA award at the age of 39.
And East Kilbride star Emma Lawton was crowned SWPL Player of the Year after a terrific first full-time season with Celtic Women, playing Champions League football for the first time and landing her first Scotland cap and first goal for her country.
Miller was over the moon to claim his award and admitted if he has half the career McFadden had, he would be delighted.
He said: "If I have half the career James has had, I will be pretty happy.
"It is pretty hard to put into words right now. It is still pretty raw but I am just thankful for everybody that voted for me.
"For it to be the players that you play against is that bit extra special and I'd like to thank the manager and the players I play with every week because they have been a massive help to me and I am just thankful for everything.
"Playing another year has given me extra experience, different experience to what I had last year. I feel like I have become a better player.
"To any other young players I'd say just enjoy it. Enjoy every time you step on the pitch and work as hard as you can, you never know where it can take you."
Trouten scored 22 goals and provided four assists for the Fifers after helping them to the League One play-offs and that came off the back of claiming an incredible FIVE awards at the East Fife Player of the Year Awards a day earlier.
After becoming the oldest PFA winner, the striker said: "It is a wee bit of history so I will take it. I think nowadays players at all levels look after themselves so much better than when I first started in the game. It is a different culture and you reap the rewards. When I was younger I probably didn't look after myself as well as I should have, but now I'm putting in the work and I've got the rewards for it.
"I am absolutely delighted, I'm over the moon. My family will be so proud of me. They put in as much effort as myself. Doing things on the pitch, they need to make sacrifices as well.
"It is the fourth time I have been nominated and it is a massive honour and privilege.
"A lot of people just see you as a part-time footballer, training Tuesday and Thursday then you play Saturday. But it is definitely more than that, especially if you are playing to the age I am.
"It is big sacrifices, but I love football and I will continue it until the day I chuck it.
"I won five awards at the club awards so it has been a good week. We fell short of winning the league but we can still get promoted so that's what we'll be looking to do in the play-offs."
Celtic star Lawton, 23, scored in the Champions League for the club and admits it will be hard to top this campaign individually.
She said: "It is a real honour to do it when it is voted for the people you play against every week. It is special so I am really grateful to everybody that has voted for me.
"I was still part-time last season, I was doing my coaching on the side so now I am a full-time player, playing and training every day and it has just been mad - but I have loved every minute fo it.
"As a team, we've not been at our best this season but to be recognised individually is really special and I am just extremely grateful.
"It is going to be really hard to live-up to these past 12 months, but we'll see what the future holds."
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