Celtic dominate Scottish Premiership team of the season as they pursue glory
The Scottish Premiership regular season drew to a close on Sunday. Now, the league splits in two, but with the regular campaign done and dusted for 2021/22, we take a look at the best XI, with league leaders Celtic and Rangers dominating the side.
39-year-old Craig Gordon rolled back the years for Hearts this season as he features between the sticks in the Scottish Premiership team of the season. The experienced shotstopper made more saves (116) than any other goalkeeper in Scotland's top tier this term, while a save success rate of 77.5% was also the best in the division. Only Joe Hart (17) kept more clean sheets than Gordon (13) to kick off the best XI with a WhoScored rating of 6.93.
James Tavernier (Rangers) - 7.68
With a WhoScored rating of 7.68, James Tavernier is the Scottish Premiership player of the season for the second season running. The Rangers right-back finished first for assists (12) and key passes (100), and won more man of the match awards (8) than any other player. An additional six goals capped another superb campaign for the Gers skipper.
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) - 7.36
Cameron Carter-Vickers has proven a shrewd addition to this Celtic side and is the first of five Bhoys representatives in the team of the season. The American returned a WhoScored rating of 7.36 in the regular campaign as he finished second for passes per game (91.6) and boasted the sixth best pass success rate (89.5%) in the division to reinforce a strength of 'passing' to feature.
Starring alongside Carter-Vickers for both Celtic and the team of the season is fellow Bhoys summer arrival Carl Starfelt. The Swede made more accurate passes (2547) and returned a better pass success rate (91.3%) than any other player in the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership campaign as Starfelt landed a spot in the side with a WhoScored rating of 7.19.
Josip Juranovic (Celtic) - 7.04
Rounding off the defence is the third Celtic player in the side. Josip Juranovic is another new arrival who has impressed for Ange Postecoglou's team with the 26-year-old shining at both right and left-back for the Bhoys. The Croat was solid off the ball, putting up averages of 1.6 tackles and one interception per 90, to help earn a WhoScored rating of 7.04.
Another summer signing to excel under Postecoglou, Jota has had a direct hand in 15 goals for Celtic in the 2021/22 campaign, a solid return for the Portuguese winger, as he hit the back of the net seven times. Only two players registered more assists than Jota (8), who has been superb in his debut season as evidenced by a WhoScored rating of 7.53.
David Turnbull (Celtic) - 7.56
The fifth and final Celtic player in the side, while the new signings excelled in Glasgow, it was a familiar face that earned the plaudits at Celtic Park. David Turnbull joined from Motherwell in 2020 and established himself as a key man for the Bhoys, particularly once Ryan Christie departed for Bournemouth. Only James Tavernier (100) created more goalscoring chances than Turnbull (75) in the regular campaign to contribute towards his inclusion with a WhoScored rating of 7.56.
Back on the Rangers beat, Joe Aribo joins Turnbull in the middle of the park having earned a WhoScored rating of 7.29 this season. The Nigerian missed a handful of games due to his AFCON participation, but still ranks fourth for key passes (58) in Scotland's top tier, while eight goals and five assists is a commendable return for the 25-year-old.
Ryan Kent's performance levels may have dipped, but the winger did enough to make the team of the season with a WhoScored rating of 7.24. Kent has managed seven assists in 2021/22, matching his return from the previous campaign, while only Martin Boyle (53) has completed more dribbles than the Gers man (50).
The second Hearts player in the side features on the frontline as Liam Boyce makes the cut. The 31-year-old has had a direct hand in 11 of the Jam Tarts' 48 league goals this season, hitting the back of the net nine times. Boyce should have more than two assists to his name as an average of 1.5 key passes per 90 suggests, that helping the 31-year-old to a WhoScored rating of 7.07.
Alfredo Morelos (Rangers) - 7.35
Injury may have ruled Alfredo Morelos out for the final weeks of the regular campaign, but the Colombian was influential in the final third prior to a spell on the sidelines as no player had a direct hand in more goals than the Rangers star (18). Only Regan Charles-Cook (13) has scored more goals than Morelos (11), but following surgery, he'll be unable to add to that record in the coming weeks.
