The 7 best Scottish Premiership players outside of Celtic

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The seven is based solely on current ability and form, and does require a combination of the two.

Obviously talented players like Graham Dorrans and Bruno Alves, who have contributed little this season due to injury are omitted, whilst an exceptional performer like Stephen McGinn can also miss out, as we feel there are more talented players out there despite his fine form.

The 7 best Scottish Premiership players outside of Celtic

7. Dylan McGeouch – Hibernian

Recently named as both Hibs Player and Players’ Player of the Year at the club’s end of season awards, Dylan McGeouch has had by far the best season of his career. The Glasgow-born former Celtic man is one of the best passers of a ball in Scottish football, and he has been crucial in securing a Europa League spot for Hibs this season. McGeouch dictates the tempo of play from the Hibs midfield, quietly going about his work in a cool, calm and composed manner.

6. Youssouf Mulumbu – Kilmarnock

Youssouf Mulumbu of Norwich is tackled by Sam Morsy of Wigan during the Sky Bet Championship match between Wigan Athletic and Norwich City at DW Stadium on February 7, 2017 in Wigan,…

From just 41 points last season to an impressive 59 this season, Kilmarnock have been one of the surprise packages in the Scottish Premiership. Steve Clarke has done an excellent job at Rugby Park, and one of his shrewdest moves was the recruitment of Youssouf Mulumbu. The Congolese international played under Clarke at West Brom, but was brought to Killie after a couple of disappointing seasons with Norwich. A strong, robust defensive midfielder, Mulumbu joined Kilmarnock to put himself in the shop window, and manager Steve Clarke recently conceded that having done that, he expected Mulumbu to join a bigger club on a free transfer in the summer.

5. Graeme Shinnie – Aberdeen

A player who gets better and better as each season passes by, Graeme Shinnie is another SPFL player who has just had the best season of his career. The most important and arguably the best player at Aberdeen, Shinnie provides a constant source of energy and enthusiasm. A tireless runner who is brilliant at breaking up play, yet loves to get forward, Shinnie can play at left-back or in defensive midfield, but he looks at his best in that box-to-box role. Aged 26, Shinnie is somehow still uncapped by Scotland, but that shouldn’t be the case much longer.

4. Daniel Candeias – Rangers

Daniel Joao Santos Candeias of Rangers is challegned by Kieran Tierney of Celtic during the Scottish Cup Semi Final match between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 15, 2018 in…

It’s been another turbulent season for Rangers, whose fans thirst to provide Celtic with a proper challenge for the SPFL title once again went unquenched. Pedro Caixinha’s seeming scattergun approach to the transfer market saw the club waste a lot of money, but it wasn’t totally fruitless. Daniel Candeias has been a rare success story, and the 30-year-old journeyman has shown his class at Ibrox. Capped by Portugal at seven different youth levels, Candeias has always had talent, but five clubs in four years suggests he wasn’t doing everything right. Capable of playing on either the left or the right flank, Candeias has good pace and a terrific right footed cross, and he rarely passes up on an opportunity to swing a ball into the box. That has worked this season, as he tops the Scottish Premiership assist charts, and has signed a new deal to remain at the club until 2020.

3. John McGinn – Hibernian

Followers of the Scottish Premiership won’t be shocked to see John McGinn make this seven. The 23-year-old is the pick of a trio of talented McGinns in Scotland’s top flight right now, and he has the potential to be a top class player. A really well-rounded central midfielder with good technique, an eye for a pass and a impressive stamina, he has already won seven caps for the Scottish national team, despite having been playing in the Scottish Championship last season. Whilst Hibs are having a very good season, it seems only natural that a move is imminent for McGinn, whether that be to Celtic or south of the border.

2. Christophe Berra – Hearts

Christophe Berra of Scotland (4) celebrates as he scores their first goal during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier between Scotland and Malta at Hampden Park on September 4, 2017 in…

A Player of the Season contender in the Scottish Premiership this season, Christophe Berra has been a sensation since rejoining Hearts from Ipswich Town last summer. The experienced former Premier League centre-back may be 33 now, but he is playing just about the best football of his career. Strong, alert and a force in the air, Berra has probably been the best central defender in the league this season, and he was the key to Hearts’ impressive eight-game run without conceding earlier this season. Berra has won 41 caps for Scotland to date, and Alex McLeish’s decision to leave him out of his first squad was a highly questionable one.

1. James Tavernier – Rangers

One thing is for sure, James Tavernier’s time in Scottish football certainly hasn’t been dull. The Englishman joined Rangers in the Scottish Championship in 2015, enjoying an absolutely tremendous debut season, bagging 15 goals in all competitions as the Glasgow side won promotion. In the top flight, however, some of Tavernier’s defensive limitations were rather more apparent. Tavernier is clearly a very attack-minded full-back, and defensively he has heaps upon heaps of room to develop, but he has vastly improved this season. Quick and purposeful, he provides a real outlet on the right flank, and at 26, he is still growing as a player.