Tony Cascarino has delivered an assessment of Lawrence Shankland live on talkSPORT, as the striker gears up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after signing for Rangers.
Shankland has been the talk of Scottish football this summer after completing his move to Ibrox from Hearts, with his two-goal haul in the 4-1 win against Curacao on Saturday bringing him to the attention of a wider audience.
It is that performance and his inclusion in the Scotland squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup that prompted Cascarino’s breakdown of the striker on air, with the former Republic of Ireland international leaving no doubt about his admiration for what Shankland brings to the table.
His co-host Shebahn Aherne was equally effusive, acknowledging both his brilliant season at Hearts and the significance of his move to Rangers in the same breath.
How many league goals will Shankland score for Rangers next season?
He could fire Rangers to a domestic treble!
Cascarino delivers verdict as Shankland earns World Cup recognition
Speaking on talkSPORT, Cascarino was asked to assess Shankland’s qualities and credentials to be Scotland’s first-choice striker at the World Cup, and his response was a comprehensive endorsement of everything the striker offers.
The former Chelsea and Celtic forward highlighted the 30-year-old’s ability to make life difficult for defenders as his standout quality, praising his pressing, his hold-up play, his aerial threat, and his danger inside the 18-yard box as a complete package that few strikers in Scottish football can match.
Cascarino also noted that Shankland’s quality may have cost Oli McBurnie his place in the Scotland squad, a telling observation that underlines just how highly the striker is regarded at the international level right now.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “He leads the line really well. He’s one of them players who will always make the defenders’ game difficult.
“He will pressure them, he will get in front of them, he will hold up the play, and then he will be a threat, whether it’s aerially or in the 18-yard box. He’s had a great season with Hearts, fair play to him. He’s a great addition.
“We were talking all about forwards, weren’t we, and Oli McBurnie didn’t get in. It might be one of the reasons was Shankland.”
Aherne, meanwhile, tied the international recognition directly to the Rangers move, framing both as the natural reward for a player who has consistently delivered at the highest level of Scottish football.
She said: “Shankland has been brilliant, got his move to Rangers as well, and a great season at Hearts.”
Should Lawrence Shankland be named the Rangers captain?
Colin Hendry believes he deserves the armband right away…
What it means for Rangers
For Andrew Cavenagh, Cascarino’s endorsement is the kind of external validation that money cannot buy.
Signing a striker who is being discussed on national radio as a genuine World Cup asset, before he has even kicked a ball at Ibrox, is a statement of intent that sets the tone for what this summer rebuild is trying to achieve.
If Shankland arrives at Rangers carrying the form and confidence of a player impressing on the world stage, the Rangers faithful are in for a treat.
