The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Shankland: I can follow Jack’ s path to Scotland
Lawrence Shankland is ready to take the Jack Hendry route from Belgian football back into the Scotland national team.
Shankland suffered Euro 2020 heartbreak as he was left out of Steve Clarke’s squad for Scotland’s first major finals in 23 years.
The former Dundee United striker went to Wembley to see his country take on England with his dad as a fan.
He will watch from afar as Scotland face Denmark,
Moldova and Austria in a World Cup qualifying triple-header this week.
Ex-Dundee star Hendry reignited his Scotland career with a successful spell at Belgian Jupiler Pro League side Oostende.
And Shankland, capped three times by Scotland, hopes to do the same with new club Beerschot.
“There’s no reason why I can’t get back into the Scotland set-up via Belgian football,” Shankland told Courier Sport.
“I’ll be playing in a
European league, against European defenders.
“It’s those kind of challenges you face when you go to international football. Hopefully, if I am playing well and scoring goals I can come back into the Scotland squad.
“I’m not going to put mad pressure on myself. I just want to settle in here, enjoy my football and get some goals.
“But there’s a path to the Scotland squad from Belgium as Jack Hendry has shown.”
Shankland, 26, refuses to dwell on the disappointment of missing out on Euro 2020.
He was a regular in the Scotland squad during the qualifying campaign.
But Shankland feared the worst when he was left out of the last squad prior to Clarke naming his 26-man team for the finals.
He won’t let that disappointment deter him.
And if the striker can hit the goal trail in Belgium, he will surely find his way back into the set-up.
“In football you learn to deal with disappointment from a young age,” added Shankland.
“You have a lot of downs in this game. Missing out on the Euro 2020 squad wasn’t something I got too down about.
“I had missed out on the squad before the final Euros one was selected.
“At that point, I knew I would have had to have an unbelievable month to get back into the squad.
“That never really materialised from myself or from our team performances at the end of the season. When the squad got announced I’d already half-dealt with the disappointment.
“I went down to London to support Scotland because I’ve never seen the country play at a major tournament.
“If I wasn’t going to be there as a player it was something I still wanted to be a part of.
“I went to Wembley with my dad – it made for an easy Father’s Day!”
Lawrence Shankland is made in Scotland from girders just like Irn-Bru – and a gift of our national drink has put the fizz into his new life in Belgium.
Irn-Bru can be hard to find beyond Scottish shores but spotting one of our footballers abroad is often just as big a challenge.
Former Dundee United star Ryan Gauld has spent seven years plying his trade away from home in Portugal and Canada.
And while Shankland is just beginning his journey as a Scot abroad after his £1 million move from Dundee United to Belgian side Beerschot, he’s off to a good start.
Shankland is keen to embrace his new club, country and culture, having always dreamed of living abroad.
The French he picked up in school has already come in handy as he integrates into the multi-lingual dressing room at the Olympisch Stadion in Antwerp.
Shankland is waiting for his wife Nicole and daughter Eva to join him in Belgium.
But thanks to Beerschot, Shankland already has a small piece of Scotland with him.
“I’ve already managed to get a hold of Irn-Bru in Belgium,” said Shankland. “I’ve got a source.
“Someone brought some into the club for me so that was a nice wee welcome.
“I miss my family as I’m on my own at the moment.
“But as soon as things settle and they can travel freely again I’ll get my family over and settled.
“I’m sure I’ll settle. I don’t know how often I’ve said: ‘I’d love to live somewhere else’ so this is my opportunity.
“This move takes me out of my comfort zone.
“As a Scottish person, it’s not something that happens often. We don’t tend to move abroad.
“The majority of Scottish players who leave the country go down to
England so this was unusual.
“Before me, Jack Hendry came here last season and David Bates played in the league. Clubs here are now fishing in the Scottish market.
“It’s a totally different league, a different style of football and something I was keen to exploit.
“I’d never really thought about Belgium before.
“There hasn’t often been a pathway from Belgium to Scotland. Not many people have made that switch.
“That was probably part
of the attraction for me – to try something different.
“It can improve me – not just as a player but as a person too.
“I’m going to throw myself into a different way of life and culture.
“It’s a big decision but one that can set me up well – not just in football but in life in general.
“I already feel comfortable.
“I was actually not too bad at French at school so when the French-speaking players talk there are a few words that ring a bell.
“Dutch may cause me more problems but when I get my housing situation sorted I’ll look at language lessons.”
Beerschot have had a colourful history since the club was formed in 1899 as an offshot of local rivals Royal Antwerp.
They have been bankrupt twice – in 1999 and 2013.
A 12-year merger with Germinal Ekeren that saw them build links with Ajax ended in 2012, but saw them develop the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Moussa Dembele.
Their second bankruptcy saw them start again in the regional leagues as K. Beerschot V.A. but the Antwerp side have tasted several years of glory.
Five promotions in seven years took them back to the top flight in 2020.
In their first season back up, they narrowly missed out on the play-offs for the Europa Conference League.
Beerschot are currently bottom but are hoping Shankland’s goals can help them climb the table.
And after confiding in
former United star Freddy Frans before making the switch, Shankland can’t wait to get off the mark.
“Freddy was the only person I spoke to,” said Shankland.
“I wanted knowledge that could come in handy for me before I made the decision to come over.
“He spoke highly of the place and luckily he wasn’t telling me any lies!
“Hopefully, my first goal won’t be too long in coming but it’s not something I want to put myself to get.”