Mcinnes can be in mix for prize

Paul Sheerin expects Kilmarnock boss Derek Mcinnes to be in the mix for end-of-season awards after his surprise at seeing none of the club’s players make it into the Professional Footballers’ Association of Scotland Team of the Year.

Killie are fourth in the Premiership and have the chance to secure a top-five finish and guarantee European football when they host Hearts on Saturday. Given the strides they have made after battling relegation in their first season back in the top flight last term, assistant boss Sheerin is confident Mcinnes will be firmly in the running when the various shortlists for manager of the year are drawn up.

“Definitely,” he said. “Between Aberdeen and now, the gaffer has continually built squads season after season to compete at the top level in the Premiership, and I think he’s proven that again this season. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t recognised at some stage. As a club we’re punching above our weight and that’s credit to the manager.”

Despite Kilmarnock’s progress this year, they had no representation in PFA Scotland’s Premiership Team of the Year, which was announced last weekend.

It was made up of seven players from Celtic and Rangers, plus Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski, Dundee’s Owen Beck, Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland and Motherwell’s Theo Bair.

Sheer in said :“obviously you sit here from a biased point of view and there are certain players who you probably think could have been recognisedbut you understand that there’s a lot of good quality in Scotland and that these are all down to opinions.”