Hearts make another big Lawrence Shankland call - but it can't be all on his shoulders

Derek McInnes has confirmed Shankland, who finally signed a new three year-deal last week, will continue as skipper despite the length of time it took for the player to commit himself to the club.

The manager, who has known Shankland since he joined Aberdeen as a teenager, wondered whether the level of responsibility on his shoulders impacted the player last season.

McInnes was watching from afar as manager of Kilmarnock at the time. However, whilst admitting it’s not his preference for a centre forward to wear the captain’s armband, McInnes knows enough about Shankland to feel confident that the now settled player can lead from the front with little detriment to his own form.

“There's a lot of responsibility on somebody like Lawrence because he's the real deal, you know what I mean?” said McInnes. “When he scores goals, he gets that hero status, that Roy of the Rovers-type thing. He carries that burden all big players do at their clubs. When things don't go so well for him as they didn’t (last season), I just remember seeing him in interviews when I was doing Hearts games or watching him and thinking ‘he's taking too much on his (own) shoulders here’.”

McInnes has called for other senior players at the club to step up and support Shankland ahead of a new season when several new signings have been added to the mix.

Others ‘need to step up as well’

“I’ve spoken to a lot of other senior players here," he revealed. "I feel as though I've got three, four vice-captains there already to come in,” he said. “Any of a few people could be my captain here. But they need to support Lawrence, they need to be there for Lawrence.

“It can't just be on his shoulders. I think he enjoys being the captain and that's important because I think you do need to enjoy being a captain. I don't think it's perfect, your centre-forward being captain. I always think it’s better a centre half or centre midfield player. But it's not to say it can’t be done. I see him in and around the place and how he is with the lads and I can see why he's going to be a great captain for us. We just want to make sure he's a successful captain in Hearts colours.”

Much of that might depend on the success of Hearts’ re-strengthening efforts under McInnes. The manager has shed some more light on incoming forwards Sabah Kerjota and Pierre Landry Kabore, who are expected to relieve some of the pressure on Shankland.

The deal for Kerjota, a winger with Italian Serie C side Sambenedettese, is expected to be finalised first although he is further behind in terms of fitness having missed pre-season. According to McInnes, “we are going to have to wait a bit to get him up to speed”.

As for Kabore, a Burkina Faso international striker who has been playing most recently in Estonia’s top flight, the manager anticipated him being available for the League Cup clash against Stirling Albion on Saturday week.