Which sporting star gets your vote?

It’s been said for long enough that this part of Scotland is a hotbed of sensational sporting talent and the exploits of our quartet Stephen Craigan, Charlie Flynn, Kirsty Gilmour and Chris Cadden (profiles below) during 2016 do nothing to suggest otherwise. And our readers will choose the winner with our online poll below.

The standard of nominee is incredible as Craigan and Cadden were both involved in Motherwell’s first ever Scottish Youth Cup victory, Flynn has made a storming start to his professional career and Gilmour recently won a European silver medal.

The lucky winner will be presented with a trophy in spring 2017.

CHRIS CADDEN (Football)

Chris Cadden captained the Motherwell under-20s to the first Youth Cup victory in the club’s history with an exhilarating 5-2 final win over Hearts at Hampden on April 27. Chris’s brilliant form as part of the youth side has seen him promoted to the senior Motherwell starting 11 and the right sided midfielder is now one of the first names on the team sheet. The 20-year-old has now made over 40 appearances for the Premiership outfit, as well as winning his first caps for the Scotland under-21s.

KIRSTY GILMOUR (Badminton)

Bothwell badminton ace Kirsty Gilmour has enjoyed continued success in 2016, two years after winning a silver medal for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 23-year-old Bellshill-born star excelled at this spring’s European Badminton Championships finals in France, making it through to the final before eventually having to settle for a silver medal fter being defeated by Spain’s Carolina Marin. Kirsty won her first match at the 2016 Olympics in Rio but went out after losing her second contest.

CHARLIE FLYNN (Boxing)

Newarthill lightweight boxer Charlie Flynn has made an outstanding start to his professional career, with two wins in 2016 giving him a 100 per cent record of eight pro victories out of eight. The 23-year-old’s down to earth, easy going style won him a host of admirers when he won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow in 2014. He made his professional debut on December 14 that year with a win over Ibrar Riyaz. After a spell out injured in 2016, he is due to fight again in Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel on Sunday, December 18.

STEPHEN CRAIGAN (Football)

Motherwell under-20s gaffer Stephen Craigan led the Fir Park side to the first Scottish Youth Cup triumph in the club’s history with a sensational 5-2 Hampden victory over Hearts in the final this spring. The flowing football played by ’Well in what was an emphatic win in that final had many fans visualising Craigan as a future first team boss. Craigan, who as a player won 54 Northern Ireland caps (the most international honours ever won by a Motherwell player) also has ’Well’s starlets flying high in the under-20s league.