Wednesday 3 May 2017 16:06, UK
Brendan Rodgers expressed his surprise that Celtic skipper Scott Brown was not among the nominations for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award.
Three members of the treble-chasing Hoops make up three-quarters of the short-listed players, with Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele and Stuart Armstrong vying for the senior award alongside Aberdeen winger Jonny Hayes.
Dembele is also one of three Celtic nominees in the young player of the year category, along with Kieran Tierney and Patrick Roberts, and Hibernian striker Jason Cummings.
But Rodgers cannot understand why his club captain has been omitted.
He said: "There is a real happiness for those players because of all of them who have been nominated have been absolutely first class throughout the season.
"They have really shown their professionalism and quality. So it is nice for them to be recognised by their fellow professionals.
He is the most influential player in Scottish football
"I still can't get away from how Scott Brown is not on it, I really can't. I don't know what he was like in other years but for this season, my first season in Scotland, the level that this man has played at.
"I said it a few weeks ago, he is the most influential player in Scottish football.
"I look at N'Golo Kante down south as a central midfield player and I think he got the player of the year award down there and I certainly think that Scott Brown is worthy of at least being a nominee.
"So I found it incredible, really, that a player who has played at the very highest level from the first game isn't nominated.
"I can only remember him having one bad game since I have been up here and that was Hearts when we won the league and he said it himself that he was hopeless.
"Every other game he has been at a top level and this is Champions League, this is big games.
"The players here will tell you the catalyst he is for them, what he gives the team and in every facet of the game he has been absolutely superb.
"So I can't believe why he would not be in it but as I say two-fold, I am really happy for the players nominated."
