Pundit takes aim at Rangers ‘snobbery’ over £2m striker snub

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Stephen McGinn has aimed a thinly-veiled dig at the Rangers recruitment hierarchy for failing to sign Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland in the summer.

The Scotland man has been linked with a move to the Ibrox giants perennially over the last year or so and speculation continues to arise on a regular basis.

Many pundits have touted Shankland to sign for Rangers, with Govan legend Barry Ferguson a regular advocate. He wrote as recently as Friday that 28-year-old Shankland is now ‘ready made’ to play for Rangers and even compared him to former Manchester United ace Teddy Sheringham.

Shankland started the season well with six goals for Hearts in August but then went on a concerning goal-scoring drought.

But he has found his mojo again in recent weeks and his purple patch has been rewarded by the SPFL as he picked up November’s Premiership Player of the Month gong.

Rangers did not pursue Shankland actively in the summer and instead – under the stewardship of Michael Beale – chose to sign strikers Cyriel Dessers, Danilo and Sam Lammers for a combined £14m.

It’s safe to say those transfers haven’t paid off at all with a meagre 14 goals in 71 games between the three of them scored so far this season.

So should we have tested the Hearts waters for Shankland in the previous transfer window?

Rangers ‘snobbery’ over Lawrence Shankland?

McGinn has suggested so. When addressing the relentless Shankland to Rangers talk, he told The Go Radio Football Show: “There’s a bit of snobbery in this country. I get that when you go abroad, you can maybe get the superstars who are going to be here for four or five years.

“But if you look at their No 9s for the last few years. Kyogo was someone Ange Postecoglou knew inside out, Morelos was someone JJ knew inside out. We’ve had Klimala, Ajeti, this season Dessers, Danilo, big signings from abroad that haven’t hit it off.

“When you look at that over the years, then what’s the problem of going getting someone short term, guys who have worked for other clubs? Like Leigh Griffiths, Kris Boyd, Steven Naismith; they’ve all come from provincial clubs and done a job for Celtic and Rangers over the years.”