Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez has expressed delight following his inclusion in the Scottish league Team of the Year in his debut campaign.
Fernandez has enjoyed a remarkable rise in his career since joining Rangers last season and was named in the Team of the Year after enjoying an impressive debut campaign.
The 24-year-old joined the club last summer from English lower division side Peterborough United and has already become a mainstay in the squad this season, as they compete in a three-way battle alongside Hearts and Celtic for the Scottish league title.
He has already attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton and could now be set for another major move, one year after making the first big move of his career.
Fernandez also went on to make his debut for Nigeria last month, when he came on as a substitute in the win over Iran, before starting and scoring in the 2-2 draw against Jordan few days afterwards.
Emmanuel Fernandez reacts to SPFL Team of the Year selection
Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez has been included in the Scottish league’s Team of the Year after an impressive campaign so far.
The 24-year-old has featured 29 times across all competitions for Rangers this season scoring six goals and the Gers are four points off top spot with only a few games left in their race for the title.
“It was a bit of a shock to be in the Team of the Year as I started playing a bit later in the season”, Fernandez said.
“To be named in it, I am so grateful to my teammates and the staff, as well as the other players in the league for voting for me.
“I didn’t expect it but to do it in my first season here, to get that recognition is a moment I won’t forget.
“Spain [the pre-season training] was one of the best things we have done.
“I spoke to players I maybe didn’t speak to as much before the trip. It was good for team bonding and it was nice to play in the heat – you don’t get much of that here. We all enjoyed it,” Fernandez concluded.
Other players who were included are Calum Ward (Motherwell), Paul McGinn (Motherwell), Craig Halkett (Hearts), Harry Milne (Hearts), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), Elliot Watt (Motherwell), Elijah Just (Motherwell), Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Claudio Braga (Hearts).
Meanwhile, Rangers suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Motherwell on Sunday and will be hoping to return to winning ways when they face Hearts in a potential title decider on May 4.
