Lawrence Shankland reacts to Rangers and Celtic interest reports

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Lawrence Shankland has, in comments reported by the Daily Record, dropped a hint regarding his future amid reported interest in him from Rangers and Celtic.

The Daily Record reported last month that both the Gers and Hoops had a scout in attendance as Shankland scored a hat-trick for Dundee United at the weekend.

The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals in 12 appearances this term. And his form has been rewarded with his first call-up to the Scotland senior squad for the upcoming international break.

And ahead of linking up with Steve Clarke’s men, Shankland responded to speculation surrounding his future. He seemed to hint that he is currently happy to see out his contract with his current club, while he also insisted that he has no plans to leave before the end of the season.

“If people are watching me this season then I’m obviously doing my job. And scoring goals will always attract attention,” he said, as reported by the Daily Record. “But I have a job to do here this season. I signed for three years with United in the summer – and that’s what I’m committed to.

“If and when I do leave, I want United to be in the Premiership. That was part of my objective when I came here.”

TBR’s View

With Shankland yet to prove himself in the Scottish Premiership, it may be a smart idea for the likes of Celtic and Rangers to put any move on the back-burner until the summer anyway.

Of course, that would be a gamble given the level of interest in him. But it is not going to be easy for Shankland to hit the ground running should he join one of the Old Firm in January.

His cause is not going to be helped as it seems unlikely that Rangers or Celtic will sanction a striker sale in the winter. Shankland would not initially get into the team ahead of Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe at Ibrox, or Odsonne Edouard at Parkhead.

So Shankland may have his sights set on staying put for the entirety of this season. But it may be that that suits Rangers and Celtic perfectly.