Lawrence Shankland has confessed he has to consider "life after football" as he addressed his Heart of Midlothian future.
The Hearts captain has been influential to a third place Scottish Premiership finish by scoring 30 times this season, and he's expected to represent Scotland at Euro 2024.
But with the striker heading into the last year of his contract and negotiations over a fresh deal hitting a stumbling block, what lies ahead beyond the summer remains uncertain.
Rangers were linked with a January move while his stunning form will likely have caught the eye of clubs down south too.
"This a place where I’ve been quite admired by everybody at the club and it’s a nice feeling," Shankland explained to BBC Scotland.
"But as everybody knows I‘m going into the last year of my contract and the summer will probably be the time when conversations will be had between myself and the club.
"We’ve been really honest and open about the situation, everybody knows it. The club made an effort to keep me in January and offered me a contract, but I didn’t feel it was the right time to do it.
"This is a big decision for me and especially for my family. Getting to the age I am I really need to think about them and life after football. There’s a lot to consider, but right now I’m in a place where I’m really liked and that’s a great feeling."
