Lawrence Shankland is brilliant like my mate Ivan Toney and Scotland can't afford NOT to take him to Euro 2024

He might not fetch Hearts £100 million, but when Frankie Kent watches Tynecastle team-mate Lawrence Shankland score goal after goal - he reminds him of his pal, Ivan Toney.

This summer, Brentford will demand that kind of figure for the English striker, who is wanted by the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. Kent played alongside Toney at Peterborough United and has stayed in regular contact while the 27-year-old has set the Premier League alight. The Jambos defender has never played with a better front-man.

But he admits, with his current exploits in the Scottish Premiership, Shankland is getting close. And when he sees Hearts’ talisman score wonder goals out of virtually nothing - it takes him back to his days with Toney at London Road. At Peterborough, he also played with the likes of Sammie Szmodicz who is ripping it up at Blackburn in the Championship and Johnson Clarke-Harris who has scored 84 goals in 174 games for Posh.

But Kent is adamant that Toney and Shankland are a cut above the rest. Ahead of today’s Scottish Cup last 16 tie against Airdrie, the Englishman said: “Lawrence is up there, he’s got to be. He’s doing it week-in, week-out for us this season.

“Not to blow too much smoke or put pressure on him - but I don’t know where we’d be without him. Ivan was unreal at Peterborough. He’s the best I’ve played alongside and I’m still really close to him, we talk fairly often.

“I see similarities between them (Toney and Shankland). I’ve been lucky enough to play with some really good strikers. They have that ruthless streak and Lawrence definitely has that. He had one chance against St Johnstone on Wednesday night and took it. He made it for himself. His goal against Dundee last week, he made for himself.

“All his