Lawrence Shankland insists he is blocking out the noise around talk about his Hearts future, and says he would never "disrespect" the club by pushing for a move elsewhere.
Another sparkling season in front of goal saw the Jambos skipper scoop up both the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year and SFWA Footballer of the Year awards after leading his side to a third place finish in the Premiership with 24 goals in 37 league matches. The 28-year-old, who is expected to be included in Steve Clarke's 26-man Scotland squad for the Euros next month, was linked with a switch to Rangers in the January window, but no formal offer was ever made to Hearts.
Although the rumour mill surrounding the player continues to swirl as he enters the final 12 months of his current deal, Shankland is at ease with the situation. Speaking to FourFourTwo, he said: "Honestly? I see it as noise in the background. If anything, it's a sign that I'm doing something right. It's not something I'm hyping up, so I just let it wash over me and concentrate on football. That will always be the priority for me. On top of that, I would never disrespect Hearts. They've been great for me, and I like to think I've been good for them in return."
Hearts became the Glasgow-born striker's nine club when he made the move to the capital from Belgian outfit Beerschot in the summer of 2022, and Shankland admits that he may have finally found a home with Steven Naismith's side. He added "I'd say so, yeah. I bounced around a little bit.
"Maybe I jumped at opportunities and experiences. But I do feel at home now and that can only be a good thing for your football. Having babies helps as well, even if it leads to a few sleepless nights!"
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