Rangers make 'huge asset' transfer statement as ball gets rolling on summer rebuild
Light Blues boss Danny Rohl has wasted no time in finding additions for the rebuild
Rangers have complete the signing of ‘huge asset’ Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland as their first incoming transfer of the summer.
The 30-year old experienced campaigner will join Rangers on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee after four prolific seasons with the Jambos, where he bagged 88 goals in 171 appearances. Rangers will be the ninth Scottish club Shankland has played for, having enjoyed previous spells at Queen’s Park, Aberdeen, Ayr United and Dundee United among others. He also had a stint in the Belgian Pro League with Beerschot.
The Scotland international will be the first signing of the summer rebuild boss Danny Rohl set out towards the end of last season. Having captained Hearts as well, Shankland is also now one of the ‘leaders’ in the squad that the manager desires. The striker won’t officially be heading to Ibrox until the window opens on June 15 and before that will have World Cup matters to attend to in North America with Steve Clarke’s squad.
Rangers sign Lawrence Shankland
Rohl told Rangers TV: "We are delighted to have Lawrence join Rangers. He is a player with proven quality, leadership and work ethic, and his goalscoring record in Scotland speaks for itself. He understands the demands and expectations that come with playing for Rangers, and we believe his character and experience will be a huge asset for the group. I wish him well at the World Cup this summer, and look forward to welcoming him back to Glasgow during pre-season."
Upon signing for the club he supported as a boy, Rangers’ new number seven added: "I am delighted to be here and to have this opportunity. Rangers is my boyhood club, and it has always been a dream to play here, so I was really keen to get it done. A lot of hard graft has gone in to get to this point, and I'm just really happy. The club are in a position where they want to get back to winning silverware more regularly, and I want to be a big part of that, so that's what I have come here to do."
Summer rebuild underway
After the split, Rangers lost four games on the bounce last season in a disastrous end to the campaign, which saw them come third overall in the standings. The Light Blues have also now lost captain James Tavernier, whose time at Ibrox come to an end earlier this month after 11 years of service. After the capitulation, Rohl highlighted the need for more ‘leaders’ at the club. He said: "The most important thing is it is what I have said many times, we have to take all the information and what we need into the new season.
"I think you can imagine, with Tav we lose the captain and it means for us, this is a big signal as well. We need new leaders, more leaders for the dressing room, to set our standards that we want on the training pitch, in difficult moments in the game. I think this is crucial. This is a great opportunity to work on this. Yesterday, conversations again with the club and you can really trust me, I'm very clear, especially also after the last three weeks, what we need to be top, top, top."
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