Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Lawrence was always a class act – Reynolds
DUNDEE United captain Mark Reynolds believes Lawrence Shankland has always had it in him to be a top player.
Reynolds and Shankland were team-mates at Aberdeen from 2013-17, signing on from Sheffield Wednesday and Queen’s Park respectively.
While the 32-year-old defender became a first-team regular, young striker Shanks struggled to hold down a place and spent time on loan at Dunfermline, St Mirren and Morton before finding his feet, and the back of the net, at Ayr United.
Following his summer move to Tannadice, much has been made of the now-Scotland international hitman developing into a top player.
However, Reynolds believes the 24-year-old was already “brilliant” at the Dons.
“He was there for a few years when I was but he was out on loan quite a bit,” he said.
“He was brought in as a young prospect with a view to playing.
“Everybody keeps saying he’s come on a lot but he was brilliant at Aberdeen. He was a very good player and that’s why we signed him.
“He was just unfortunate he was behind some very good strikers in a very good squad.
“Football’s a weird game where there’s teams you go to where it doesn’t work out.
“Boys fall away from Aberdeen and go and make careers elsewhere – Lawrence was one of them.
“When Lawrence came up to Aberdeen he was very good. He was a young boy that had never left home, was up in Aberdeen living and looking after himself.
“That’s a big change for anybody and put into the mix the fact you’re competing against senior professionals who have done it at a top level for a few years.
“He was just unfortunate he never got his break and things never went for him.
“He’s shown by going away and working hard to get himself as fit as he can, he’s given himself every opportunity.”
With 21 club goals to his name already this season, Reynolds is delighted to see Shankland thriving as United sit pretty,