Lambert honoured in Scotland

Celtic FC midfield player Paul Lambert has been named as Scotland's player of the year for the 2001/02 season.

Champions League winner
Lambert, a UEFA Champions League winner with BV Borussia Dortmund in 1997, has been the driving force behind an outstanding campaign in which Celtic lifted their second successive Scottish Premier League title. More silverware is on offer next month when Celtic tackle great rivals Rangers FC in the Scottish Cup final.

Admirable performance
The 31-year-old Lambert was also a mainstay of Martin O'Neill's team as they qualified for the Champions League for the first time. The 1967 European Champion Clubs' Cup winners performed admirably in the first group stage before being eliminated by Juventus FC and FC Porto.

New contract
He originally planned to retire this year, but Lambert's excellent form this term prompted a change of heart and he has agreed a deal to keep him at Celtic Park until June 2003.

International return
Lambert has also returned to captain his country. He retired from the international fold in September 2001, but Berti Vogts, the new Scotland manager, convinced him to play on and help encourage the new generation of players ahead of the EURO 2004™ qualifying campaign.

'A personal honour'
Members of the Scottish Football Writers' Association voted Lambert as Scotland's finest ahead of team-mate Johan Mjällby, Lorenzo Amoruso of Rangers and Livingston FC striker David Fernandez. Lambert said: "It's a personal honour for me, but I see it as another success for the team who have been outstanding again this season and make life so much easier for me."
 
Succeeds Larsson
Lambert will receive his award at a dinner in Glasgow on 5 May. He succeeds team-mate Henrik Larsson as Scotland's player of the year. The Swedish international won last year after an incredible season in which he scored 53 goals and won Europe's prestigious Golden Shoe.