Max Johnston earns Young Player prize
MAX JOHNSTON has been voted the DoubleTree by Hilton Young Player of the Year by the SFWA.
The full-back saw off competition from Adam Montgomery, the Celtic defender who has spent the campaign on loan with St Johnstone, Dundee star Lyall Cameron and Charlie Reilly of Albion Rovers.
It caps a fine season for Johnston as he has established himself at Motherwell and further enhanced his burgeoning reputation within the Scottish game.
Johnston returned from a loan spell at Cove Rangers during the January transfer window and went on to become a mainstay under the guidance of Steven Hammell and then Stuart Kettlewell.
The son of former Hearts and Rangers winger Allan, Johnston said: “I was confident coming back here from Cove. Mind you, I’d felt as if I was ready when I was about 16!
“That was just me believing in myself – I think you need to as a player. I’d got a taste of the first team when I’d just turned 17.
“After that I was buzzing and wanted it every week. You’re a young boy thinking: ‘I can do this.’ You just want to take on the world.
“Dad and everyone around me told me to be patient, wait my time, and that’s when I got my loans. I feel I made the most of them. My dad was right all along, he normally is – he knows his stuff.”
Goals in the wins over St Mirren and Livingston have helped the Steelmen secure a comfortable mid-table finish and the 19-year-old has been an integral part of the side during an impressive second half of the season.
The SFWA award is for players born on or after January 1 2001, who play in the SPFL and are eligible to play for Scotland.
Johnston is the third Motherwell player - after James McFadden in 2002 and David Turnbull in 2019 - to collect the coveted prize that was won last term by Calvin Ramsay.
Scotland stars Kieran Tierney, Lewis Ferguson and Josh Doig have taken home the award in the past and a spokesman for sponsors DoubleTree by Hilton said: “We would like to congratulate Max on winning this award and wish him all the best in his bright future ahead. It's very well deserved after a fantastic season."