Friday 24 April 2015 14:22, UK
Adam Rooney says he was shocked to hear he had been included on the four-man shortlist for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award.
The Aberdeen striker, who has scored 27 goals in 43 appearances for Derek McInnes' side this season, joins Celtic duo Stefan Johansen and Virgil van Dijk and Dundee striker Greg Stewart in the running for the coveted prize.
Speaking ahead of Aberdeen's trip to Inverness on Saturday, a match the Dons must win to keep their slender title hopes alive, the Irishman said: "It’s obviously a great honour to be nominated by my fellow players, the ones you come up against every week.
We have shown improvement this season and hopefully we can add to the squad the way we have been and keep building on that.
"It’s a pretty proud moment so delighted to be up for it but surprised as well. I think it’s partly a recognition of how well we have done this season. As a team I think we have played very well.
"We have created a lot of chances and thankfully I've managed to get on the end of them. I think it has highlighted how well the season has gone that we are still mathematically in with a chance of the title at this stage."
'Successful'
Former Scotland midfielder Jim Bett was the last Aberdeen player to lift the award in 1989-90 and Rooney believes his inclusion on the shortlist this season shows how far his side have come under McInnes.
"I think we have really built on last season," he said. "Obviously we were very successful last year winning the first cup (Scottish League Cup) in many years and unlucky not to finish second.
"The motivation for this year was to try and do well in the cups again, unfortunately that didn't happen, and to build on last season’s points total and get second place cemented and we’ve managed to do that with five games to go.
"So we have shown improvement and hopefully we can add to the squad the way we have been and keep building on that."
Asked where he placed his tick on the voting sheet, Rooney, who joined Aberdeen from Oldham in January last year, said: "I think I voted for Van Dijk.
"He’s put two free-kicks in the top corner in the last couple of weeks. As a centre half I think that’s justified it, I think he’s got 10 goals now. He’s a very good player and tough to play against."
