Hearts striker Claudio Braga and head coach Derek McInnes have been honoured in BBC Sport’s first end-of-season football awards.
Voted for by our expert pundits, dedicated team of journalists, and specialist football programme makers, these awards celebrate the players who starred in the Premier League, Women’s Super League, Scottish Premiership and EFL in 2025-26.
Advertisement
Scottish Premiership player of the season – Claudio Braga
Braga helped fire Hearts’ title charge, with the tenacious Portuguese forward scoring 14 goals and providing three assists as his side fell just short on the final day.
Motherwell winger Elijah Just was in second, while Braga’s Hearts team-mate Lawrence Shankland – who is moving to Rangers – came third.
Scottish Premiership manager of the season – Derek McInnes
This one was hotly contested, but Hearts boss McInnes won by a single vote ahead of Motherwell’s Jens Berthel Askou.
Like Braga, McInnes will be left to rue Hearts’ defeat by champions Celtic on the last day, which meant the wait for a non-Old Firm manager to win the Scottish title has stretched to 41 years.
Advertisement
Askou guided Motherwell to an impressive fourth-placed finish and guaranteed European football, although the Dane has left to become head coach of Toulouse.
Martin O’Neill led Celtic to their fifth straight title – and lifted the spirits of a struggling club after the exits of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy – but only came third for our award.
Read the full article here