Five games into the Scottish Premiership season, the table is starting to take shape. Let’s take a look at the five standout players so far, according to Sofascore.

Celtic and Hearts are currently the top two teams in the league, each with 13 points. The rest of the top five is made up by Dundee United, Hibernian, and St Mirren heading into the sixth round of fixtures. Unsurprisingly, Sofascore’s top five performing players all come from these teams.

5. Liam Scales (Celtic), 7.60

The Irish defender has been ever-present at the heart of a Celtic defence which has conceded just one goal in their opening five league games.

His standout performance so far came in the opening match of the season, where he achieved an 8.1 rating, and was part of a team that kept a clean sheet and beat St Mirren 1-0 at Parkhead. Scales’ rock-solid performance included a big chance created, but was topped off by a last-man tackle that preserved his side’s clean sheet.

4. Miguel Freckleton (St Mirren), 7.65

The English defender signed for St Mirren from Sheffield United in the summer and has quickly found himself at home in their solid backline. His top performances have helped his side have the second-best defensive record in the division, bettered only by leaders Celtic.

Freckleton’s top outing this season was in a 1-1 draw away at Hibernian, where he scored and received an 8.9 match rating on Sofascore. The defender earned a place in the SPFL Team-of-the-Week for his performance at Easter Road.

3. Benjamin Nygren (Celtic), 7.74

The Swedish midfielder joined the Scottish champions during the summer transfer window for just under £2 million from Danish side FC Nordsjælland. Since making his move to Scotland, Nygren has hit the ground running, scoring three goals and providing an assist in his first five league matches.

His best display came at home to Livingston in a 3-0 victory, in which he scored a double, earning himself an incredible 9.9 Sofascore rating. He completed three dribbles, made three key passes, and created one big chance to top off a remarkable individual performance.

2. Ivan Dolček (Dundee United), 7.78

The Croatian winger, on loan from Dunajská Streda, has taken the league by storm since his summer arrival, scoring five times and providing one assist in the first five games of the SPFL season. His incredible performances earned him the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month award for August. The winger is also currently the league’s top goalscorer after the opening five rounds of fixtures.

His standout performance came in August’s 2-3 defeat at home to Hearts, where Dolček scored both of United’s goals in the game. Receiving a 9.5 Sofascore rating, the Croat was unlucky to be on the losing team that day.

1. Stuart Findlay (Hearts), 8.08

But the best player in the Scottish Premiership so far, according to Sofascore, has been Hearts defender Stuart Findlay. The Scotsman joined on loan from Oxford United over the summer, reuniting with his former manager Derek McInnes. Findlay has played a key role in Hearts’ magnificent unbeaten start, contributing to the team’s success in both boxes. Not only has he demonstrated his defensive qualities, he has also found the net on three occasions already this season, making him the joint second-top scorer in the division.

Findlay’s best performance of the season saw him earn a stunning 10 rating on Sofascore, in Hearts’ 2-3 victory away against Dundee United. He went up against Ivan Dolček on top form, and yet came out victorious, as he scored both an equaliser and a 94th-minute winner for Hearts.

It’s still only early days in the season, but these five players have set the standards for the rest of the pack to follow. We’ll soon see who else will step up to the plate as the Scottish Premiership campaign unfolds.