Lawrence Shankland has today confirmed in as direct a way as he can, without being completely explicit, that he 100% wants to join Rangers and while he’s ‘happy’ to remain one more season at Hearts, it’s not his preferred choice
The 28-year-old striker is praying for the dream move to Govan this summer, hoping that Rangers are properly interested and that Hearts are happy to sell him, as he admits he wants to realise his ambitions and can’t do it at Hearts, and wants to go to a higher level.
He said:
“I still have ambitions to get to a level. I don’t feel like I have got to that level where I am not good enough. It would be nice to kick on, see how far I can go in the game, try to play at a higher level than this (Hearts/SPL).”
He adds:
“I have a duty and a responsibility to set myself up. I feel like I owe that to myself with how hard I have worked in my career. We all understand the situation. We have had really open conversations about it — Naisy, myself and the club as a whole. I am still under contract at Hearts and I would never disrespect that position.”
But the part that is telling is the following:
“We will see what it brings, but I would never be disrespectful to what I have got at Hearts. The club have been great for me since I have gone there and have given me a real platform to perform at a high level with a top Scottish club.”
There could be a spot of ambiguity there, with that final portion, in that he’s praising Hearts as the top Scottish club, OR that he means they’ve given him a platform ‘to go on and join a top Scottish club’, aka Rangers.
AKA they’ve given him the platform, and now it’s up to him to find his ambition and find the move he thinks that platform has earned him.
But he’s pretty clear – Hearts will not be enough for him – he is on a reported wage of £3,000pw, which is chicken feed for a player of his quality compared with what he’d get at Rangers.
He’s right, he’s getting no younger, and he’s clear that Hearts isn’t going to be his future beyond summer 2025 if he still remains there this year.
Because a player of his standing is looking at £20,000pw minimum, and he’ll get that at Rangers. He also talks about being interested in a move overseas as well. But ideally, we know he really wants the Rangers switch.
Will he get the move this summer he so dearly wants?
That depends on Rangers.