Lawrence Shankland was passing the ball to Scott McTominay when he should have been shooting, and Steven Naismith knew exactly what it meant. The Hearts manager, now Scotland's assistant coach, watched his striker in that March 2024 friendly against the Netherlands and recognized the hesitation of a man still finding his footing on the international stage. But something shifted. Shankland's journey from the fourth tier of Scottish football to becoming Scotland's undroppable striker is not a story of overnight success—it's a story of persistent belief finally rewarded.
Thirteen years ago, Shankland and Andy Robertson were teammates at Queen's Park, playing in front of 954 spectators at places like Balmoor and Annan. Robertson has since become a Liverpool stalwart; Shankland took the longer road. He drifted through Aberdeen, Dunfermline, St Mirren, and into the lower leagues before Ayr United manager Ian McCall saw something others had missed. "It became obvious quite early that he was playing levels below where he was capable of playing," McCall recalls. When Shankland joined Ayr in 2017, he scored in nine of his first 10 games. He finished that season with 29 goals in 33 games—a staggering return that helped lift the club into the Championship, where he then scored 34 in 41.
What transformed Shankland at international level wasn't a change in ability—it was a change in confidence. After that Netherlands friendly, Naismith sent him a message: trust yourself the way your manager trusts you. "You're in that starting team because the manager trusts you to take these chances. Don't pass them up." The words stuck. When Hearts signed him in 2022, he scored 28 goals in his debut season and 33 in 56 the following year, establishing himself as one of Scotland's most prolific club strikers. But the international arena remained different.
This season, manager Steve Clarke made a tactical shift—moving from Che Adams as a lone striker to pairing him with Shankland. That partnership has proven potent. In 173 minutes of international football since August, Shankland has scored four goals. One goal every 43 minutes is an astonishing return at any level. He's scored six in his last six games, eight in his last nine, and ten in his last twelve. The numbers are relentless. He scored 24 goals in 38 games last season at Hearts before joining the squad, and his consistency at club level has finally translated to the national team.
"He's totally different now," Naismith says of the striker who passed to McTominay that day in Amsterdam. "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." The long road from Queen's Park to Boston has taught Shankland patience and hunger. He is no longer fitting in—he is essential.