Nakamura first Japanese to win Scottish award

Celtic FC midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura became the first Japanese winner of the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award. Reuters reported that the news was announced just hours after Nakamura clinched the club's 41st league title. He swept in a magnificent stoppage time free kick to earn Celtic a 2-1 win at Kilmarnock to seal the championship. "The man is a genius, but we also have statistics that say he covers more ground than anybody in our team, so he has got all that," Celtic boss Gordon Strachan told Setanta TV. Celtic captain Neil Lennon said of Sunday's winning goal: "It was impeccable timing from him (scoring in stoppage time) and it doesn't matter how often you see it, it is an unbelievable skill...a God-given talent."