SCOTT BROWN is a hot tip to make it six-in-a-row for Celtic by winning the SPFA Player of the Year award.

But the Hoops dynamo is only interested in making it four-in-a-row by helping Gordon Strachan's side collect another SPL title.

So, while players across the country prepare to cast their votes, the 23-year-old remains focused on landing another three points at Tannadice on Sunday.

Brown does not consider himself a front-runner in the race for the Player of the Year prize won by Aiden McGeady last season.

The winger succeeded Shunsuke Nakamura, who in turn followed Shaun Maloney as the man voted the country's top performer.

Before him, John Hartson shared the prize with Fernando Ricksen, the year after Chris Sutton was voted Scotland's top man.

This time, Brown reckons the competition is every bit as fierce but he would forgo any personal honours for another league medal.

The Celt said: "It would be a great honour, but I think a lot of players merit this award.

"Gary Caldwell has had a good season, and so have a lot of others. Pedro Mendes has also had a good season.

"Whoever the award goes to, it doesn't really matter - so long as at the end we are top of the league."

Rangers could leapfrog Celtic tomorrow, but the Hoops camp is buoyant having already put one trophy in the bag.

The Co-operative Cup celebrations have been cut short to ensure everyone at Lennoxtown is once again focused on the big prize and Brown said: "The lads have been having a laugh and a joke.

"But it's now back down to the serious stuff, and hopefully when it comes to Sunday against Dundee United, we can put in another good performance."

Brown is happy to use the memory of the celebrations when the title was clinched at Tannadice on the final day of last season as inspiration this weekend.

But he is only too aware Celtic's dramatic penalty shoot-out win in the Co-op Cup semi-final is the only time United have lost to the champions since then.

That run included holding Celtic to draws in the two previous SPL meetings, the first of those on Tayside back in August.

United have stuttered in recent weeks, winning just one of their last five games. But Brown is under no illusions how much of a challenge the side looking to secure third spot in the table will represent on Sunday.

He told Celtic TV: "That means nothing because form goes out the window when we play these teams.

"It's whoever wants it more on the day - and hopefully that's us. The cup win is forgotten by us and we're concentrating on this game."

Strachan will wait to see if Georgios Samaras - and everyone else who picked up bruises and strains at Hampden last weekend - has fully recovered before deciding on his line-up.