Lawrence Shankland speaks on Derek McInnes Hearts to Rangers move and reveals his World Cup craving

It is not a scenario anyone could have envisaged just a few short weeks ago. Shankland was asked to reflect on the recent upheaval from the Scotland camp.

He himself has endured the agony of seeing the title slip from Hearts’ grasp in the dying moments of the season before realising a boyhood dream of joining the team he grew up supporting. Amid all this he has also made his World Cup debut.

The striker is relishing a “fresh start” at Rangers. McInnes taking charge at Ibrox means Shankland will immediately feel more comfortable in his new surroundings.

“Obviously, I saw the news while I was over here,” said Shankland. “I am pleased for the manager, it is a good opportunity for him and I am pleased for myself to be there. I haven't had too much time to think about it, if I am being honest. It is something I am putting to the back of my mind. I am looking forward to a fresh start when I go back but right now I am looking to focus on this World Cup."

“When I looked back at the date when everything happened since the end of the season, to get to this point, it is actually not been that long,” he noted. “The main thing is I want to try to enjoy this tournament and I will think about the rest of the stuff when I get back home."

Hearts’ title dreams evaporated on 16 May, just over a month ago. Shankland can further wipe away the memory by helping Scotland make history by reaching the second stage of the World Cup for the first time. Shankland is the type of striker who needs only one chance to score although that doesn’t mean he wants to limit himself to this ratio.

"I am craving more than one chance to be honest, hopefully we'll get a few,” he said. “As a striker, everybody talks about those moments in front of goal and hopefully as a team whether that's for me or somebody else, we can create one or more clear-cut chances to punish the opposition.”

Shankland started in the first game against Haiti, when it was generally accepted that Scotland needed to secure all three points to have any ambitions of progressing. He then sat out the game against Morocco completely. It remains to be seen what role, if any, he is handed against Brazil in Miami.

“The manager will have his own views on everybody and where he sees those strengths within the team and squad,” he said. "He has a large group of players to pick from."

One player who looks certain to start is Neymar, for the opposition. The 34-year-old Brazilian is in line to make his first appearance for his country since 2023. Ominously for Scotland, he is bidding to emulate Pele by scoring in a fourth World Cup.

“He is obviously an iconic figure for the Brazilians,” said Shankland. “You know how well he has done in his career, you know how good a player he is. For me, he is up the other end of the pitch, the defenders will need to deal with him!”