AT EASTER Road this afternoon Steven Davis will come face to face with the player he believes has outstripped all others in Scottish football this season.
Rangers midfielder Davis was this week named along with team-mate Pedro Mendes and Celtic pair Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell as the nominees for the PFA Scotland player of the year. But the Northern Irishman looked to Hibs when casting his vote, opti
ng for Steven Fletcher, short-listed in the young player category, after giving serious consideration to St Mirren's Andy Dorman and his international colleague and "good mate" Warren Feeney at Dundee United.
While Caldwell boldly revealed he picked Old Firm rival Davis as his top player, the 24-year-old's selection of Fletcher, subject of a £2.3m bid from Celtic in the last window and still a possible mover to Glasgow's east end in the summer, might be considered progressive.
"I decided on Steven Fletcher because he's a good technical player," explained Davis, who came to Ibrox on loan from Fulham in January last year and signed permanently in a £3m deal in August. "I didn't know much about him until I came here, but having seen him and played against him I can see why clubs are interested in him."
Following Fletcher's first goal for his country in the 2-1 win over Iceland last month, Celtic could face competition from a number of English Premier League for the 22-year-old striker's signature. Davis has no doubts the Hibs man has the guile to make a go it in the most testing football environment.
"I think technique's one of the main things they look for down there and he's got that in abundance. He has a lot of talent and he's still young, as you can see from his young player nomination. As far as I know he's been playing for a few years so that experience will stand him in good stead.
"He's obviously one of those players you have to look out for when you play against them. The role he plays, he's quite cute, and we'll have to watch him. Just that way he drops off and finds space in little holes. He can cause problems between the defence and midfield. He plays a wee bit older than his years. Maybe the international set-up has helped. Anybody involved is going to benefit from that, especially at a young age."
