Rangers confirm signing of lifelong fan from rivals ahead of World Cup

Rangers have completed the signing of Lawrence Shankland from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.

Shankland had a clause in his Hearts contract which meant he can leave, provided an agreement is reached.

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He only signed a fresh three-year deal with Hearts in June 2025 to extend his stay, but has now completed his switch to Ibrox after hurried negotiations.

Shankland gets his move to his boyhood club before he travels to the 2026 World Cup.

The 30-year-old is in the Scotland squad for the tournament and he is expected to be a Rangers player before travelling.

Upon completing his move to Rangers, former Hearts captain Shankland said: “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.”

Gers head coach Danny Rohl added: “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.”

Emotional exit

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Shankland is set to depart Hearts after a memorable campaign that saw his side almost win the Scottish Premiership title.

The Jam Tarts just needed to avoid defeat against Celtic on the final day to end their 66-year wait for a title.

But they were beaten 3-1 in a controversial game, leaving players in tears as their fans chanted for them despite defeat.

Shankland scored in that clash, which saw Celtic win the title, but now he’ll be challenging the champions playing for their bitter rivals.

He finished the campaign with 16 league goals in total, finishing third in the top scorers leaderboard this season.

The forward scored more goals than any Rangers player, with Youssef Chermiti just behind him on 15.

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Seeking more Scots

Rangers not only wanted Shankland at the club for his guaranteed goals, but they’re also eyeing Scottish stars.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed last week that Scots are preferred to other nationals if they are torn between options.

“We have a pro-Scottish bias in the club today,” Cavenagh said.

“Meaning, if you have two players roughly equal and one is Scottish, then we will take the Scottish player.”

Shankland will be representing his country at the World Cup this summer, having been called up by Steve Clarke.

He has made 19 senior caps for the Tartan Army to date, but he’s sure to add to that in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Scotland face Haiti in their first match of the tournament on June 14, live on talkSPORT, before taking on Morocco on June 19.

Clarke’s men then come up against star-studded Brazil in their last Group C fixture on June 24.