Lawrence Shankland eyes Hearts records and golden boot

It all happened so quickly, and it was seemingly out of nothing. Frankie Kent, loitering with the ball at the halfway line, spotted Shankland on the shoulder of the last defender. He chipped the ball forward as the striker raced beyond the Saints backline before checking his run to anticipate the flight of the ball. The chasing defenders caught up but Hearts’ No.9 used his body magnificently to barge his way past one, and a delicate flick over the other left him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Could Shankland hold his nerve and slot it home? You bet he could.

It was a terrific solo goal that encapsulated the best of Shankland. The clever movement, the hold-up play, the invention, the composure – these are the traits that have made him the league’s top scorer and a modern great in Gorgie. It was his fiftieth goal for Hearts in just his 79th appearance as record after record has fallen by the wayside.

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“It’s a nice feeling,” reflected the Scotland internationalist. “I actually forgot it was my 50th until I saw the banner [in the crowd] at the end! It was that tight a game and I was just concentrating on that, but aye. It’s a great feeling and a great wee achievement for me.

“I think it was probably my only chance. It’s important and it’s part of my job. I have made a bit of a habit of it recently, which is good. It’s just about getting into positions and then, when the chances come, putting them away. Thankfully enough I managed it!

“I’ve scored all different types of goals this season, so it hasn’t really been consistent. But I’m confident that if I get the ball around the box then I can make things happen. Thankfully enough I managed it tonight.

“It looked like a long punt but Frank made eye contact with me when I was making the run. I was that worried I was offside I didn’t celebrate much! But I just managed to get my body in and get a wee touch over [Ryan] McGowan.

“To be fair, [Andy] Considine managed to get back and he has got a touch on it, so it’s come off me as I went to shoot. There’s a wee bit of luck there but you need that along the way.”

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Shankland may attribute a small slice of Wednesday night’s winner to some good fortune, but this is a player who regularly makes his own luck. His goal at McDiarmid Park wasn’t the first time he has conjured a match-winning moment out of nothing, and the smart money says it won’t be the last, either.

The former Ayr and Dundee United striker hasn’t taken long to make a big impression. He is the first Hearts player since the great John Robertson to hit 20 goals in back-to-back seasons, and he was always confident that his time at Tynecastle would be productive.

“Aye, probably,” Shankland said. “When I moved I knew I would get chances. Hearts are a team that tend to be at the top end of the table. So as a striker coming in, I fancied myself to score goals.

“It had been a long time since someone had scored 20 for them so I kinda had that in the back of my head at the start, that I could maybe go and achieve that. To get that back-to-back… I’ve hit 20 goals, not in the league yet, but I’m heading for that. To get 50 in my time here so far is great.

“Aye, I have [spoken to Robertson]. Just over text – I’ve just seen that he’s messaged me just there, actually. He always gives me wee messages here and there, and he messaged me after we beat Hibs.

“It’s nice – he holds all the records and they’ve been his for a long time, but it’s now up to me to go and put a new name on them.”

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As well as club records and the like, Shankland is also on track for a certain individual award this season: the Premiership’s golden boot. He currently tops the charts with 17 to his name, and naturally he is hoping to claim the award come the end of the season. “Of course,” he said. “Coming off the back of last season, I came close but didn’t quite make it. But at the stage I am at just now, I need to be looking at that.”

The Hearts skipper appears to be the favourite to finish the campaign as the Premiership’s top scorer, but he admits there are one or two other strikers that could provide some stiff competition.

“Whoever’s close!” Shankland replied when asked who he considers to be his competition for the award. “[Bojan] Miovksi is obviously doing well at Aberdeen and scoring goals. I imagine Kyogo [Furuhashi] – did he score tonight? I’m waiting on him hitting a bit of form because he can bang them in as well!

“There are a lot of good strikers in this league, a lot of good goal scorers, so we will see where I end up. I won’t get too caught up in that either. I’ll just keep plugging away.”