GRAEME McGARRY

personalities on social media to see if they would send a small message to keep his spirits up, and the response was incredible.

I don’t want to embarrass any of them here by naming them individually, but I hope that any player, manager or pundit who sends out these messages to children are aware of just how much of a positive impact it has on the recipients. And make no mistake, they do so on a regular basis, and for no other reason than for the benefit of those who need that little lift when the going gets tough.

I am sure there will be many families out there who have also been on the receiving end of such kindness in dark moments, so allow me to use this platform to say just how grateful our own family is to all of these individuals and clubs for this generosity of time and spirit that usually goes sight unseen.

There are undoubtedly tougher professions out there than being a footballer, but while players are no doubt

SADLY, one of the great nights of the year – at least for the profit line of the bar at the Doubletree Hilton in Glasgow – the Scottish Football Writer’s Association Player of the Year award night will not take place due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Thankfully though, the chain of footballers honoured in this way, stretching back to the first recipient Billy McNeill way back in 1965, will remain unbroken, with voting forms distributed to members earlier this week.

Given the season was not played to a normal conclusion makes the choice even more difficult than usual this term. There have been many individuals worthy of recognition, with the likes of Callum McGregor, Scott

Brown and James Forrest again outstanding for

Celtic, Sam Cosgrove battering in the goals again for Aberdeen, and Alfredo Morelos having an outstanding first half of the campaign for Rangers.

Indeed, it looked for a good while as though he would be the one to beat to the award, but the form and consistency of the brilliant Odsonne Edouard earns him my vote this year.