Thirteen years ago, Lawrence Shankland and Andy Robertson were team-mates in the fourth tier of Scottish football, making trips to Elgin, Berwick, Annan and Montrose. On Saturday, they will walk out together at the World Cup in Boston – a journey that nearly did not happen for the striker who is now, in his 30s, finally coming of age for Scotland.
Steven Naismith, now Steve Clarke’s assistant, remembers a game in Amsterdam before the last Euros. Shankland was starting against the Netherlands, fresh from a run of 15 goals in 15 games for Hearts – 28 in total that season. But in the 20th minute, a moment told Naismith everything.
“Lawrence Shankland, once a fourth-tier team-mate of Andy Robertson, is now Scotland's undroppable striker at the World Cup.”
“The ball breaks to him 20 yards out and rather than taking it out of his feet and finishing, he tries to reverse it for Scott McTominay,” Naismith said. “I was watching it and that moment told me that he’s still at sea at international level. See, when you go into the international set-up the first thing in your mind is fitting in. Just fit in. And I think that was Shanks fitting in.”
Naismith texted after the game: “I said ‘I cannae work out why you’re passing to McTominay because I’d rather you have that shot than anybody else.’ I told him he needed to think about what’s got him there. ‘You’re in that starting team because the manager trusts you to take these chances. Don’t pass them up.’”
That advice paid off. Shankland is now undroppable. “He’s totally different now,” Naismith said. “He’s comfortable. He believes he’s part of it. And that’s why he’s in the squad – for these moments. He’s matured so, so much. He’s just elevated his game.”
His run of form this season has forced Clarke to alter his thinking, switching from one striker to two, moving away from Che Adams as the lone runner. Shankland and Robertson, once play-off losers with Queen’s Park – beaten 1-0 at home and 3-1 away by Peterhead in front of 954 fans – are now on the biggest stage.
“From Balmoor to Boston,” as Tom English writes. For Shankland, it is a rise built on finally believing he belongs.