Have Rangers just signed Scotland's World Cup number nine?

Lawrence Shankland has scored four times in limited Scotland game time

• Published2 hours ago

Rangers' capture of Heart of Midlothian captain Lawrence Shankland could prove to be the most significant move of the summer transfer window, but have the Ibrox club also signed the man who will be leading the forward line for Scotland at this summer's World Cup?

Scotland have long struggled to produce prolific strikers at international level and yet the man who bagged 72 league goals for Hearts has found himself no more than a bit-part player for the national team under Steve Clarke.

After another stellar season in which his 21 goals spearheaded Hearts to a Scottish Premiership title challenge only to be pipped in a final day shootout with Celtic, there is growing evidence that Shankland should be the man tasked with leading the Scotland attack when they kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti on 14 June.

Steven Naismith has worked with Shankland during his spell as Hearts' head coach and now as Scotland assistant, and thinks Shankland "is at the best he's ever been at now at 30-years-old".

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Naismith admits: "He's took a bit of time to get to that point, but in the last two or three years, his progression's been better than probably most in the squad.

"So he's had challenges and moments where it's not been good, but he's rebounded and come back, had another fantastic season.

"Going into the World Cup, he's in a brilliant frame of mind to actually not just be here but be a big player for us in this World Cup."

Just four of Shankland's 18 Scotland appearances have been starts, with the rest coming from the bench.

He has scored four goals for his country, the most notable coming against Denmark on that magical night in November when World Cup qualification was secured at a raucous Hampden Park.

Clarke famously puts his faith in players that have been there and done it for him before and not too many Scotland fans would be shocked, regardless of current form, to see Lyndon Dykes and/or Che Adams favoured over Shankland, George Hirst and Ross Stewart to start against Haiti.

If the Scotland head coach was minded to delve into the statistics, though, he would find some added weight for Shankland's case for inclusion.

Steven Naismith worked closely with Lawrence Shankland at Tynecastle

A goal involvement on average every 104.8 minutes at international level compares favourably with the other strikers in the Scotland squad.

Dykes averages a goal involvement every 205.4 minutes, Adams every 209 minutes and Hirst every 299 minutes. Stewart has only amassed 34 minutes of action in his two Scotland appearances and has not managed a goal, or an assist.

For a long time, Shankland was viewed as simply a goal scorer. Not a bad reputation to have, but the sense was he was lacking in the other areas that Clarke in particular values so highly – work rate, occupying a defence, physicality and link-up play.

Over the last few seasons as Hearts captain has emerged a more rounded Shankland - a more complete striker and an effective leader.

"I first came across him as a forward here when I was a player and he was a finisher," Naismith says.

"Not real game knowledge or intelligence or a real work rate. And I think, when I then worked with him as a coach, that is a massive change.

"His game intelligence and his finesse, it's top level. And he's not only done it when he's been in a team that's been winning 3-0. He's done it in big, big moments.

"Another part that probably goes unnoticed is, his leadership skills are excellent. I remember when they played Holland (in 2024), he had a chance to shoot and he passed to big Scotty McTominay. I was at Hearts at the time and I texted him saying, 'at Hearts, you shoot there'.

"But he probably wasn't comfortable in this environment then. Now, I think he's at the point where [he thinks], 'no, I'll do what I need to do to contribute for the team'."

Related topics

• Scotland Men's Football Team
• Scottish Premiership
• Scottish Football
• FIFA World Cup
• Rangers
• Heart of Midlothian
• Football
• Scotland Sport

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