Dundee United’s John Rankin has said he will be surprised if his club captain does not feature prominently in the player of the year awards at the end of the season.
Jon Daly’s two goals against Dunfermline at the weekend took his tally for the season to 20.
That rich vein of striking form has been one of the reasons that the Tangerines are now fourth in the SPL, just five points behind Motherwell in third.
Rankin insists his skipper’s contribution is deserving of wider recognition.
He said: “Throughout the season, no one has really been paying much attention to what Jon’s been doing but, now he has 20 goals, everyone is sitting up and taking notice.
“It is a great achievement, especially in a team that was supposedly struggling at the start of the season and it speaks volumes for him. When you look at us now, we are sitting in fourth position and we made the top six fairly comfortably.
“Jon has been a huge part of that and he has led by example all season.
“He definitely should be up there when the player of the year awards are handed out at the end of the season.”
Rankin, who joined United last summer after leaving Hibs, thought he knew what Daly’s game was all about having played against him.
However, he said training and playing with the big Irishman has been an eye-opener.’A real eye-opener’He said: “Jon is as good a target man as I have played with.
“A lot of players try things that they aren’t really good at but Jon knows exactly how to get the best out of himself.
“Obviously, I had played against him before and a lot of those times he was at centre-back but, since I arrived here, he has been up front all season and he is great to play with.”
He added: “To be honest, I knew how difficult he was to play against but I didn’t really realise exactly how good he was.
“When you are in the dressing-room before a game, you always speak about the other team and it was stressed how big a threat he was from set plays.
“But it has been a real eye-opener to find out how much of a danger he is from open play.
“To play with him is outstanding as he holds the ball up really well which allows us to make runs off him and he is always available.”
Rankin said: “Johnny Russell has scored 14 so far and I guarantee if you asked him how many Jon has helped him with, he would probably say double figures.
“He plays a massive part, not just moving people for Johnny but setting goals up as well.
“Jon has also scored a lot and he has to take credit as many of them have not just been with his head.
“For instance, his finish for his first goal against Dunfermline on Saturday was a cracker.”‘Something out of nothing’He added: “It also helps that he is getting a supply. You have Paul Dixon and Gary Mackay-Steven on one side and Willo Flood and Robbie Neilson on the other putting in quality balls.
“So he is guaranteed chances every game but they still have to be taken.
“That first goal on Saturday was a good example. The chance looked to have gone but then he produced something out of nothing.”
United travel north to face Aberdeen on Saturday and Rankin said he is desperate to pick up three points against a side that has been a bogey team for the Tangerines this season.
He said: “Celtic did us a favour on Sunday by beating St Johnstone to keep them behind us.
“It is in our own hands but there is a lot that can happen between now and the end of the season. But if we can go to Aberdeen on Saturday and take three points, it puts more pressure on St Johnstone.”
He added: “We have had problems against the Dons this season but I felt we were unfortunate at home when we should have had a penalty in the first half and then it was our ball at a throw-in in the second half and they got their goal which changed the game.
“Up there we never gave a good account of ourselves but it is a derby and we are looking to come out with the bragging rights for next season.
“Obviously, Hearts are still in the equation for fourth spot but it is a challenge we are looking to come out on top of.”