The narrative Hearts hero will never buy amid key star's future uncertainty as ace handed strong backing
A former Hearts defender has given his take on criticism of a current Tynecastle favourite.
Former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan has leapt to the defence of Lawrence Shankland and believes his old team-mate has moved on from a challenging opening to the season.
Much was expected of the Scotland international after he plundered his way to 31 goals and provided eight assists in 47 appearances in all competitions last season. However, after playing in a slightly different role behind a striker during the opening months of the current season, Shankland struggled to make an impact in a Hearts side that appeared to be in the midst of a battle against relegation from the Premiership.
Under new boss Neil Critchley, the former Dundee United frontman has enjoyed an upturn in form and that has been further aided by James Wilson’s impressive introduction to life at a senior level at Tynecastle and the January loan signing of Union Saint-Gilloise striker Elton Kabangu. Since the turn of the year, Hearts have lost just two of their 13 games in all competitions and now sit in the race for a European place and are potentially just 90 minutes away from the Scottish Cup Final as they prepare to face Aberdeen in the semi-final next month.
Former Australia international McGowan, who is still a regular in the Championship with Livingston, has hit back at suggestions Shankland’s application is diminished at Hearts as he enters the final months of his current deal at Tynecastle. He praised the impact both Kabangu and Wilson have made on their captain’s output as momentum has been gained throughout the season.
He told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast: “People forget this is our livelihoods, we are playing for our careers. Nobody goes out, no matter what level you’re playing at, and doesn’t try or doesn’t want to be there or doesn’t care as such. I think in previous seasons he’s (Shankland) played in the way that he’s playing before and I think at the start of the season he lacked someone else running in behind.
“I think if you look back a couple of seasons when he had Ginnelly, he was the one that dropped, he maybe didn’t start in the role but he continuously dropped into that ten role - but he needed someone to run in behind and stretch the defence because at the start of the season, with him dropping short and being that focal point, it allowed teams to press Hearts higher up the pitch and allowed defences to get tight to Shankland.
“Whereas now, when you’ve got two strikers already there, two strikers willing to run in behind, especially young Wilson and Kabangu, it means the back four or three, whoever is playing against Hearts, naturally drop five or ten yards and it creates that bigger gap for the ten role so Shankland to find those pockets and be able to get on it.”