Lawrence Shankland’s move to Rangers has been hailed as the spark the club needs to escape its recent underperformance and rebuild toward genuine title contention.
Former Ibrox midfielder Ryan Jack believes the Hearts striker will prove to be a crucial building block as new manager Derek McInnes attempts to revive a side that finished third in the Premiership last season.
Jack, who shared a dressing room with Shankland at Aberdeen and on Scotland duty, says the 30-year-old’s character and commitment will immediately raise the bar for those around him.
“I look back at my time at Rangers and know that I gave everything I could to try to help the club,” Jack said. “It’s definitely that mentality of player the club are needing.”
Jack was emphatic that Shankland’s boyhood connection to the club adds an extra dimension to his arrival, calling it a match made in heaven for both player and institution.
“Lawrence has become a special type of player, he’s someone players will look up to and he also supported Rangers as a young boy so he has that connection and affection for the club,” Jack said.
Shankland’s move from Hearts reunites him with McInnes, who now inherits a squad widely regarded as having fallen well short of the standards expected at Ibrox over the past campaign.
Jack tracked the striker’s development closely over the years and praised the relentless work ethic that has transformed Shankland into one of Scottish football’s most reliable finishers.
“He’s a guy who trains well every single day, he sets a standard and that rubs off on his team-mates,” Jack said. “He’s a player who makes sure he takes those standards into his match performances and that’s where it really matters.”
Jack also pointed to the importance of experience in the dressing room, recalling his own time alongside figures such as Allan McGregor, Steven Davis, Jermaine Defoe, and Scott Arfield as a model Rangers should seek to replicate.
“That mix is important and that is the key for Rangers as they plan for next season,” he said, underlining how a blend of seasoned professionals can shape younger squad members.
The former midfielder was blunt about the scale of the challenge facing McInnes and the entire club this summer, insisting that last season’s league position is unacceptable by any measure.
“Finishing third last season is clearly not acceptable,” Jack said. “The fans and the people running the club will know this isn’t anywhere near where the club should be.”
With significant rebuilding work still to be done, Jack sees Shankland’s experience and leadership as central to restoring the winning culture that Rangers supporters expect and demand from their squad.
“Lawrence has knowledge and experience and that’s going to be a massive asset for Rangers,” Jack said, reinforcing his belief that the signing sets the tone for what must be a transformative summer at Ibrox.
About the Author
