If Rangers are looking for an answer to their profligate striker woes, then they need look no further than Hearts talisman Lawrence Shankland.
About to enter the final year of his Tynecastle contract, the Scotland international striker was once again the man for the big occasion as the Jambos downed Celtic.
With the 28-year-old hitman netting in the 2-0 Hearts win, it let Rangers off the hook after the Gers had slipped up v Motherwell in a weekend of reckoning at Ibrox.
Rangers have seen their attack blunted by a combination of injury crisis and poor forward play and if ever there was evera no brainer signing for the club, it’s the Hearts number nine.
Lawrence Shankland future Rangers number 9?
Lawrence Shankland netted his 27th goal of a hugely productive season against Celtic, his third in as many games against the Parkhead side campaign season alone, and his 20th in the Scottish Premiership.
With Celtic down to ten men, the striker took responsibility for finishing off his opportunities with one ruled out for offside and the other flying past Joe Hart.
Meanwhile, Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers failed to take advantage of a number of good opportunities in that shock defeat to Motherwell.
The big striker wears the Rangers number 9 jersey and whilst goals are a collective effort, when you don that shirt you have to deal with the expectations.
What’s more, you have got to deliver, and at the moment Lawrence Shankland seems a far better candidate for it than the Belgian-born Nigerian striker.
Hearts talisman downs Celtic
Heading into next season there are some serious questions over the Rangers forward line.
If Cyriel Dessers cannot change his chance-to-conversion ratio then we’ll be surprised to see the £4.5m hitman last beyond the summer window.
Rangers striker Kemar Roofe – himself a reliable forward very much in the Shankland mould when he’s on the pitch – is also out of contract in the summer.
After years of devastating injury issues, we’ll be amazed if any deal for the high-earner is renewed.
It points to Rangers needing to add a talismanic number nine type frontman to the squad next season and we should look no further than along the M8.
What’s more, Lawrence Shankland is a boyhood bluenose, entering the final 12 months of his Hearts contract, and more than capable of breaking Celtic hearts.
