Hampden sore yet Shanks still trains his sights on glory
LAWRENCE SHANKLAND will have to make do with the first day of pre-season training – when he could have been running out at Hampden for Scotland’s Euro 2020 opener.
This year’s European Championships have been moved to summer 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But as Shankland gets back down to club business with Dundee United today he could be excused of thinking what might have been.
Before shutdown the hitman was gearing up for our Euro play-off semi-final with Israel, with the winners to face either Norway or Serbia in the final.
That semi-final is now on the back burner but Shankland still believes Steve Clarke’s side can blaze a trail to the finals.
The likes of John McGinn, Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney and Scott McKenna would have missed that Israel clash with injury had the game gone ahead as planned.
However, they should be fit when it’s finally played and Shankland
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SCOTT BURNS insists that’s one positive from the lengthy shutdown.
He said: “We had the play-off games to look forward to.
“It was getting close and we were all excited but the circumstances we find ourselves in are serious and the time will come for the play-offs.
“There were a few injuries at the time to key players and there will be a lot of top players back to fitness.
“Hopefully there will be a full squad available and whoever is in that squad will do the job and get Scotland to a finals.”
Shankland was the top scorer as United blasted out of the Championship and back into the Premiership.
Now he is hoping taking the step up will help to cement his place in Clarke’s squad.
He said: “If I am doing the job for my club in the Premiership then there is no reason why I can’t get selected again for Scotland.
“My job is just to do well for United and hopefully score a lot of goals in the top flight.”