Lawrence Shankland breaks silence on Rangers transfer and has words for Hearts

Shankland has penned an initial two-year deal at Ibrox with an option of a third after invoking a clause in his contract allowing him to leave Hearts this summer. It is understood that Rangers have not had to pay a fee for his signature.

The 30-year-old will officially become a Rangers player on June 15 and is the first recruit of the summer window.

Shankland came close to winning the Premiership with Hearts last season and is desperate to go one better with Rangers.

“I want to be successful,” he said after his concluding the move to his boyhood club. “There are a lot of Rangers players that come and go over the years and if you are not successful you are forgotten about pretty quickly.

“ I want to be one that comes here, we want to win, the club wants to be in a position where we are back winning titles regularly. I want to be a big part of that and that is what I have come here to do.

“It is an opportunity I have waited a long time for, a lot of hard graft has gone into it to get to this point. I am delighted to be here first and foremost. I want to come here and be a successful Rangers player.

“I think when you come to a football club, you come and have a look at the training ground. You see the memories of the trophies, the photos. And that's what you want. When you leave this football club, you want to be a part of that. And make sure you leave your stamp on what you did here. So that's all I want to do.”

Shankland’s previous Rangers snub

Shankland revealed that he was released by Rangers as a schoolboy - but the experience has made him a stronger character.

“Being a Glasgow boy, you come from normality really, working class people and obviously you get that resilience built into you from an early age,” Shankland continued. “So I think I’ve always naturally had it.

“I’ve always wanted to be a footballer, but you get knocks along the way. Rangers was actually one of them when I was really young. I got released from here when I was kind of on trial for a long time. But those are the kind of things that mould you for the future. You get those learning experiences and build that resilience. I’ve always kept that.”

Shankland reserved praise for Hearts after ending a four-year association with the Tynecastle side. He scored 88 goals in 171 appearances and was the club captain.

“When you come to make decisions, it is never easy,” said Shankland. “It is easier because Rangers are my boyhood club, as I have said. But, listen, Hearts have been a huge part of my life for the last four years, for me and my family. I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me when I went there from the start, obviously four years of my career is a long time to spend there.

“I will always be grateful for the opportunity they have given me. A really great club and I am glad I have left on good terms with everybody there.”

In a statement, Hearts commented: “Heart of Midlothian can confirm that Lawrence Shankland is leaving the club to join Rangers. The striker will make the move to Ibrox on undisclosed terms once the summer transfer window opens on June 15th.

“We thank Lawrence for all of his efforts during his four years in Gorgie.”

Shankland’s immediate focus is now on the World Cup, as he is part of head coach Steve Clarke’s squad for the finals next month.

“You always want to be part of the international team, especially when there's a major tournament coming,” Shankland added. “I picked up an injury near the end of last season, but I knew I just had to get myself in a position to bounce back.

“I came back really well in really good form and thankfully enough I've got myself in the squad. So it's going to be a brilliant experience and I'm really looking forward to being a part of it. It'll be brilliant for the family as well to come and see that.”

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