Rangers-linked Lawrence Shankland scored his first international goal on Sunday night at Hampden Park.
Having made his debut in Moscow just a few days previous, the 24-year-old was named in Steve Clarke’s Scotland starting XI to take on San Marino.
In horrible Glasgow conditions, the team temporarily kept the critics at bay by winning 6-0.
Alerted by his prolific scoring exploits for Dundee United, for whom he has 15 goals in 14 appearances this season, both Rangers and Celtic reportedly scouted the striker last month [Daily Record].
That revelation brought a mixed response from Bears, though, with some citing Nicky Clark as an example that goals in the lower leagues don’t necessarily mean a player could cut it at Ibrox.
Kris Boyd then criticised his selection for the national team, bemoaning a dearth of top-level Scottish qualified strikers [Scottish Sun].
Despite all the chatter surrounding him right now, though, Shankland delivered on Sunday night.
After a fine save stopped him from scoring in the first half, he got his goal in the 65th minute.
He reacted first after a wicked Scott McTominay effort came back off the bar, controlling the ball before stroking into a gaping goal.
Scoring against the world’s worst team is hardly proof that Shankland has the quality to be a Ger down the line.
However, it’s an international goal nonetheless and it justified Clarke’s decision to select him.
A better idea of his ability might be gained if he’s called-up next month to face Cyprus and Kazakhstan. Plenty of Bears still need convincing he’d be worth pursuing, but there’s little doubt he knows where the goal is.
