Lawrence Shankland has admitted that he won't feel like a true Rangers player until he makes his competitive debut, despite the emotional significance of next week's friendly against St Etienne at Ibrox. The 30-year-old Scotland striker, who joined the club this summer after three successful years at Hearts, will pull on the famous blue jersey for the first time in a pre-season match on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Childhood Dream Realised
Shankland, a lifelong Rangers fan from Baillieston, described the moment as the culmination of years of hard work. Family photo albums show him growing up in a Rangers kit, and now he will finally wear it as a player. "People have asked me how does it feel but I think it'll really sink in when you're going out there for your first competitive game, running out to the full stadium," he said. "These are the things you obviously dreamed of as a kid so I'm buzzing for it."
Long Journey to Ibrox
The striker has taken a winding path to reach his boyhood club. Starting at Queen's Park, he had loans at Dunfermline, St Mirren, and Morton before prolific spells at Ayr United and Dundee United. A difficult stint in Belgium followed, but he rebuilt his career at Hearts, scoring consistently over three seasons. "I know I've certainly worked hard for this move," Shankland said. "People can see from the outside the match-day stuff and the goals you score. But what they don't see is the years of graft, playing at lower levels, people writing you off."
Competitive Debut Focus
Despite the excitement of the St Etienne friendly, Shankland is focused on the competitive opener away to Dundee United at Tannadice. "There's a lot of hard work to do before then in the next couple of weeks before that first away game at Tannadice," he said. The 2019 transfer window was the last time he felt a move to Rangers was close, when he was at Ayr United. "Listen, even people in my family thought it might have been a missed opportunity and it would never happen. But I always had that belief I could make it happen."
Manager Relationship and Striking Options
Shankland is reunited with manager Derek McInnes, who coached him at Aberdeen earlier in his career. "The manager has known me for a long time. He knows what I thrive on as a player," Shankland said. "The good thing is he knows what to expect from me and I know what to expect from him, so we're on the same page."
Rangers have four striking options: Shankland, Youssef Chermiti, Ryan Naderi, and Bojan Miovski. "We've got four really good striking options here. All goal-scorers throughout their career," Shankland said. "It's important if we're going to win games, you need that. You're going to need goals from the starters, from the bench."
No Pressure, Just Opportunity
Shankland insists he feels no added pressure to prove himself at Ibrox. "I don't actually feel too much pressure," he said. "When you go everywhere and you get a fresh start you need to try and make yourself the first name in the team sheet. That's what I'm going to try to do here."
The striker is determined to make his mark and be remembered fondly. "Hopefully when I leave here people remember me for the same [as at Hearts]," he said.
