HEARTS have completed the signing of Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland.
The striker joins the Jambos from Belgian side Beerschot for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year deal at Tynecastle.
A renowned goalscorer, the move signals a homecoming for the 26-year-old after he spent his formative years in the Hearts Football Academy system.
Shankland signed his first senior contract with Queen’s Park in 2012 and after a prolific 2012/13 campaign she then joined Aberdeen.
Loan spells at Dunfermline, St Mirren and Greenock Morton followed before he made the move to Ayr United in 2017.
It was at Somerset Park where he hit the goal trail, notching 63 goals in 74 appearances. Those goalscoring exploits earned him a move to Tannadice, where he would link up with Hearts gaffer Robbie Neilson, then Dundee United manager.
His strike rate remained constant, bagging 40 goals in 74 appearances and firing the Terrors to the Premiership in the process. Gaining international recognition, Lawrence made his Scotland debut in 2019 and scored his first goal for Steve Clarke’s side in a 6-0 win over San Marino in October 2019.
Belgium came calling last year and he joined Jupiler Pro League outfit Beerschot.
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website, the manager Neilson said: “I’m really happy that we’ve been able to bring Lawrence to the club.
“He’s a player I know well from our time together at Dundee United. I know exactly what his qualities are and what he’ll bring to the team, and that’s why we really pushed hard to make him a Hearts player.
“I know he’ll get a great welcome and I’m looking forward to working with him again.”
Sporting Director Joe Savage added: “We’ve always said we want to add quality over quantity and that’s what we’ve got in Lawrence; a top quality footballer.
“It’s a big deal for the club, in terms of calibre of player and financial outlay, and once again we’ve been backed by our board and received their full support as we aim to build a squad capable of challenging on two fronts.
“I know our fans will be excited with this one and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to make it happen.”
