The Scotland striker spoke about a difficult Premiership campaign at Tynecastle

Accusations that Lawrence Shankland has “chucked it” at Hearts this season hurt the Tynecastle captain. He doesn’t shirk the fact that this season has been a personal disappointment, with only five goals to his name after 28 and 33 respectively in the previous two campaigns. He is adamant, though, that he is no slacker despite an underwhelming year for the Edinburgh club.

Shankland hears public comments about his performances and is fully aware that some people perceive a lack of effort from him. He reacts unequivocally when asked about the subject and admits the talk stings. “It can be. That’s the opinions of supporters who are not in the club every day. They don’t see us working in training,” he points out. “Listen, I have no doubt in my mind if I came into training every day and sacked it off then I would not be anywhere near playing on the pitch on a Saturday.

“I know myself that I come in and I work hard and on matchdays as well. Everything I have tried to do has been the same as I have done in the last two years. My effort and output is there. It is just that people watch football and see what they want to see at times. They can create a narrative in their own head that you are not trying. If you are watching someone and thinking they are not trying, then 99 per cent of the time you will probably think that. But I know myself that in training and games I work hard, my team-mates know that.

“I don’t think they would have someone on the pitch with them if they were slacking in the position we are in, and I certainly would not like to have it as well. There are no problems with my application and the team’s application as a whole. I am comfortable with that, it’s just that other stuff has not come together this season and we are where we are. But we can win a really important game at the weekend to change that and finish the season on a high.”

Premiership relegation battle in Scotland’s Highlands

That game is Ross County, the Premiership’s second-bottom club, in Dingwall. Shankland is fit again after a muscle injury kept him out of last weekend’s 1-0 defeat by Dundee at Tynecastle Park. “Yes, I did a bit of training on Thursday and back fully training on Friday so things are looking good, I am looking forward to it.” Saturday is Hearts’ first match since they sacked head coach Neil Critchley, with first-team coach Liam Fox now in interim charge of the team.

Out of contract this summer, Shankland is unsure who, if anyone, will speak to him about his future as he prepares to leave Gorgie. “I don’t really know how the club will work on that front going forward,” he says. “Obviously, there is all the new analytical stuff they are doing as well so that might change the format of some things, whether that is the club making the signings or the manager, I am not sure how it will all work.

“I will speak to whoever needs to speak to me when they do but, for now, for myself and the club, we need to concentrate on these games. Once these games are out of the way and hopefully we have got the results we need, we can talk about the rest of the stuff.”

The prospect of relegation is still alive for Hearts, who are just five points better off than County heading into this weekend. Shankland’s goalscoring numbers will etch his name into modern Tynecastle history as the most prolific forward to don a maroon shirt since John Robertson. He can’t afford a relegation to stain his time in Edinburgh.

“No, 100 per cent - and I don’t believe it will happen,” he insists. “I have belief we have enough in the changing room and about us to make sure we can get the points we need in these last few games. We need to face the challenge head on, you are in the position you are in. I said that to the boys after the game last the weekend: We are here, we need to deal with this now.

“Obviously the game at the weekend was scrappy, Dundee managed to get the goal and then they defended for their lives and they defended really well. You are going to face that if we come into games and we lose a goal, that is what it is going to be like. We just need to find ways to win games. It’s not about being brilliant, it is about finding ways to win. We need to do that between now and the end of the season. I don’t want it [relegation] and I don’t think it will happen. I have a belief it won’t happen. So I am sticking with that.”