McInnes knowing what Hearts need was music to my ears and it should be to Shankland too - Ryan Stevenson

Lawrence Shakland has much to consider when it comes to his future.

At least there’s one thing he can be sure of. If he signs on again at Tynecastle, he’s going to get a team and manager who will give him every chance to recapture his best.

Derek McInnes won’t have needed to tell Shankland what to expect from the Hearts team next season if he’s part of it.

The striker will have seen it for himself.

The new boss gets it. He knows what Hearts requires and it was music to my ears hearing him identify pace in the wide areas. It should have been music to Lawrence’s lugs too.

Just look at the way McInnes has set up teams in the past. It’s tailor-made for a Shankland.

Look at the way he used Adam Rooney during the first part of his spell at Aberdeen and the way he created a set-up to utilise him to the maximum.

I played against that team and it was murder when the likes of Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn got into full flow. Those boys were a nightmare to face. They held their width and they got service into Rooney.

If McInnes thought Hayes and McGinn had the beating of their full-back, they would just keep pummelling them down the flanks.

But, if he thought they weren’t able to get away, he had no hesitation switching their sides and then they’d come inside and make mayhem, create and score their own goals.

The other thing about them is they worked their backsides off and weren’t scared to stick a foot in if it was needed as well.

McInnes’ Aberdeen team evolved, yet the principles stayed the same. Fast and aggressive in the wide areas and, when Rooney left, not many would have given Sam Cosgrove much hope of filling the void, yet he did it brilliantly in the end.

That was down to service. The likes of Gary Mackay-Steven and