Arbroath defender Tam O’Brien was excluded from the PFA Championship Team of the Year due to a blunder from his fellow players.
The 30-year-old centre back has been a stand-out in the second-tier of Scottish football at the heart of the Lichties defence.
Last week, it was announced that O’Brien, alongside teammate Michael McKenna, is among four players shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year.
However, people reacted with shock on social media when the Championship Team of the Year was revealed – with O’Brien missing from the combined XI.
Courier Sport takes a look at why he was omitted from the side.
What happened?
Players from across the division nominated their fellow pros to make up the combined Championship XI.
When voting, players do so on a web page and choose who should fill the positions for Team of the Year.
No Tam Obrien 🤷♂️ https://t.co/2iwM8kW4Q8
— Nicky Low (@Nicky_low18) April 25, 2022
The nominations, and their position on the field, are typed into a text box on the page.
A PFA source has told Courier Sport that some votes for O’Brien were submitted for him as defender, while others put him incorrectly in a midfield role.
This led to votes for his inclusion being split between positions and, ultimately, he did not have enough supporting votes to be included in either.
Who made the team?
The PFA Championship Team of the Year consists of four Partick Thistle players, three from Kilmarnock, two from Inverness and two from Arbroath.
O’Brien’s central defensive partner Ricky Little is one of those, alongside fellow PFA Scotland Player of the Year nominee Michael McKenna.
Congratulations to Ricky Little and Michael McKenna who have been named in the PFA Scotland Championship Team of the Year. https://t.co/eFinuqQBCe
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) April 26, 2022
The team in full:
Goalkeeper: Zach Hemming (Kilmarnock)
Defence: Kevin Holt (Partick), Lewis Mayo (Partick), Ricky Little (Arbroath), Rob Deas (Inverness)
Midfield: Michael McKenna (Arbroath), Fraser Murray (Kilmarnock), Scott Tiffoney (Partick)
Attack: Billy McKay (Inverness). Brian Graham (Partick), Kyle Lafferty (Kilmarnock).
Why should Tam O’Brien be included?
The Arbroath skipper is an integral part of Dick Campbell’s squad, having joined from Angus neighbours Forfar in 2017.
O’Brien has missed only ONE Championship clash this season: the 2-1 in over Morton in December.
In every one of his appearances, he has played in the centre-back position.
His commanding presence has caught the eye of a number of managers, but the defender is still under contract with the Gayfield club until the summer of 2024.
Along with his defensive colleagues and keeper Derek Gaston, the Fife-born player has played a key role in his side conceding just the 28 goals in their 34 Championship matches.
