SAME AGAIN
2019 was an astonishing year for Lawrence Shankland... now he wants to make 2020 even better by winning promotion with United and helping Scots achieve their Euro dream
HIS personal story represents one of the great footballing fairytales of the year. So what does Lawrence Shankland have planned by way of an encore to his annus mirabilis? Why, more of the same, of course.
Like clinching a league title in a division that he rates as more competitive than the world’s richest domestic tournament. And scoring more goals along the way, naturally.
There’s also playing his part in Scotland’s attempts at ending their 22-year-absence from a major finals — before making the squad for a European Championships that includes games at both Hampden and Wembley.
Having kicked off 2019 with a goal for Ayr United against his current club Dundee United, Shankland will start 2020 eager to enhance his already-exalted status at Tannadice. While at the same time trying to ignore the constant distraction of a January transfer window guaranteed to feature expressions of interest in his talents.
At the age of 24, the former Queen’s Park team-mate of Scotland skipper Andy Robertson knows he just has to stay focused. And trust in his talent.
That involves Shankland — whose mid-season haul of 22 goals includes scoring on his first start for the national team — brushing aside the subject of mid-season speculation about his future, with Queens Park Rangers reportedly considering a January bid.
‘I just keep concentrating, really,’ he said.
‘There’s nothing I can do about that. Speculation always happens. Coming into January, it’s always the same, with rumours everywhere.
‘But I’ll be fully focused on my work here. We’ve got a lot of tough games coming up in January that we need to win; that’ll set us up in a good position if we can win them all.
‘It (the speculation) has happened before so it’s not something I’m not used to. It won’t be hard to stay focused to be honest.
‘I’ve signed for three years at the start of the season so if anything happens it’s out of my hands.
‘The main objective this season is winning the league and getting promotion.’
United are 14 points clear at the top of the Championship heading into the new year.
As our neighbours down south rush to hand Liverpool their first English top-flight title on the back of a 13-point lead at the same stage of the season, shouldn’t we all just assume that Robbie Neilson’s men are now uncatchable?
Shankland argues against that kind of thinking. Not just because he’s wary of complacency. But because Scotland’s second tier is such a crazy competition, full of teams who can raise themselves on any given weekend. ‘It’s a completely different league (the English Premier League) and Liverpool are the best team in it,’ said former Dunfermline, St Mirren and Morton loan star Shankland.
‘I think our league (the Championship) is a lot closer in terms of the calibre of the teams in it.
‘Everybody is round about the same and, on their day, can give everyone problems.
‘It’s definitely not a done title yet but, the more points we do pick up, the closer we get. ‘Obviously, we had a run of nine wins and then a draw in the derby last week. That’s one more game without defeat. We don’t concentrate on the table but you do know how far ahead you are. ‘It would be daft to say we don’t. We know that, if we keep picking up points and nobody’s making ground on us, then we’ll be all right. Obviously, you can look at the Dundee game as two points dropped — but I’m looking at it as one point gained.’ Focused on his club football in the middle of a hectic festive schedule, Shankland also has Scotland in his sights. Called up to his first squad by Steve Clarke back in October, the centre-forward came off the bench in the 4-0 loss to Russia. He then started — and scored — in the 6-0 win over San Marino just three days later. The leap from the second tier of Scottish domestic football to the full international stage did not seem to faze a player who had already represented his country at under-21 level.
With the Euro 2020 play-offs just a few months off, the prospect of being involved in the home semi-final with Israel — and hopefully a final away to either Norway or Serbia — obviously excites anyone in or around the fringes of Clarke’s plans.
‘When you get a taste of it, you want to be involved,’ said Shankland. ‘You need to just try and keep your performances up.
‘I had a wee injury and I’m just trying to get back from that. I’ve probably not hit the levels I’ve been at beforehand — but I just need to keep grafting away and the match sharpness will come.
‘That’s what I’m looking to do and, if I can get back scoring most weeks, then I’ll be quite happy that I’ve given myself the best chance.’