Lawrence Shankland transfer news: Rangers sign striker from Hearts ahead of Scotland World Cup duty

Rangers have signed Lawrence Shankland from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.

The 30-year-old has put pen to paper on an initial two-year deal at Ibrox until the summer of 2028, with an option to extend that by a further 12 months.

Shankland scored 20 goals for Hearts last season, including 16 in the Scottish Premiership, as they missed out on winning a historic league title on the final day of the season.

His exit from Tynecastle Park will be confirmed on June 15, when the transfer window opens, and comes just 12 months after signing a three-year deal at Hearts as captain.

While it has been announced that the move is for an undisclosed fee, it is thought the Ibrox club have taken advantage of a clause within that deal he signed last year.

The Scotland striker will now jet off to the USA for the World Cup, before returning later in the summer to join up with Rangers head coach Danny Rohl's squad.

"A lot of hard graft has gone in to get to this point and I'm just really happy. The club are in a position where they want to get back to winning silverware more regularly and I want to be a big part of that so that's what I have come here to do."

Head coach Röhl added: "We are delighted to have Lawrence join Rangers, he is a player with proven quality, leadership and work ethic, and his goalscoring record in Scotland speaks for itself.

"He understands the demands and expectations that come with playing for Rangers, and we believe his character and experience will be a huge asset for the group. I wish him well at the World Cup this summer, and look forward to welcoming him back to Glasgow during pre-season."

Shankland grew up a Rangers fan but his footballing career started at Queen's Park alongside Andy Robertson.

His move to Aberdeen in 2013 resulted in loan spells at Dunfermline, St Mirren and Morton as he looked to make his mark.

It took some time but that mark was made in 2017. He joined Ayr United as a free agent, on a short-term deal, and scored 29 goals across all competitions in his first season.

During the following campaign he struck 34 goals and ended up moving to Dundee United, where he fired them back into the top flight with 28 goals in his first season.

Two seasons later and he moved to Belgian club Beerschot, where he struggled, as the club were relegated from the top flight.

That led to a return to Scotland as he penned a three-year deal at Hearts and impressed, scoring 24 league goals in his first two seasons.

When his contract ended last summer, there were offers from abroad but not from Ibrox. After months of talks, he opted to stay at Hearts and netted 20 times across all competitions last season, which almost fired the club to league glory.

However, following a season that caught the eye of Rangers chiefs and beyond - the striker who grew up supporting the club has now moved to Ibrox and will undoubtedly be a key player for Röhl.

The move for Shankland may come as a surprise to some.

After all, just 12 months ago, Rangers failed to sign him when he was out of contract. Bearing in mind some fans even wanted him in the January before to boost a title bid, it seemed like the 'Shankland to Rangers' ship had sailed.

However, just over a week on from a campaign in which he nearly fired Hearts to their first top-flight title in 66 years, the player cut short his holiday and agreed a switch to Glasgow.

On the pitch, it is clear what he can do. Just ask Rangers fans, as he scored four league goals in three games against the Ibrox club during the campaign. However, it is not just his goals that will excite the supporters, but also his leadership skills.

After all, chairman Andrew Cavenagh said the club must sign players who have the right mentality to play for the club, after watching them finish third in the league.

The US businessman also wanted recruitment to have a "Scottish Premiership bias" and said Rangers would have "a bias towards Scottish players" too, when it came to this summer.

Well, Shankland hits the nail on the head in every aspect.

He's a leader, he knows the league, he scores goals, and he is Scottish.

Rangers need a new captain after James Tavernier left at the end of his deal. Could Shankland be the man to fill those boots and fire the club back to winning silverware after another trophyless season?