Murray has won the titles — and won over the fans

IT IS the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony on Sunday and I hope that firm favourite A ndy Murray receives the accolade.

To do what he has done and win what he has won this past year has been nothing short of phenomenal.

He has also won over the English contingent. He had been criticised about some off-the-cuff remarks about Scotland beating England that were just a bit of fun.

However, they were taken out of context and upset more than a few people down here.

Now, though, even if there is still the feeling that when he wins he is British and when he loses he is Scottish, he really seems to have won the hearts of the nation.

There was a great documentary about Murray on the BBC this summer revealing just what it takes to be a global sports icon in terms of hard work and commitment.

Dealing with young athletes and talking to their parents, they often do not have a clue about what it requires to reach the elite level of sport.

I sometimes wonder if it is somehow in-built, that desire to go the extra yard to get to the top. Murray certainly seems to have that. He has already said he will not be at the ceremony in person as he does not want to disrupt his training camp in Miami.

Hopefully, his fans and the BBC will not take that as a slight.

The last thing he needs as he continues to recover from a back operation is to put training on hold to sit on a long flight from the States to London and back again.

Instead, it will be a satellite link for the current Wimbledon champion, who really has been out of this world this year.

Picture: PA. Andy Murray.