Lawrence Shankland drops Hearts transfer exit clue as he reveals 'open conversations' over future

Lawrence Shankland has admitted he needs to look at setting himself up as he addressed his Hearts future.

The striker became the first player in Tynecastle history to win PFA Scotland Player of the Year on Sunday night after a stunning season in Gorgie. Hearts will be braced for interest in the star who has one year left on his deal.

Shankland would be happy to remain in maroon if a move away didn’t transpire, but he has admitted it would be nice to try and play at a higher level at some stage, with conversations on what comes next needed. He said: “I have a duty and a responsibility to set myself up.

“I feel like I owe that to myself with how hard I have worked in my career. We all understand the situation. We have had really open conversations about it — Naisy, myself and the club as a whole. I am still under contract at Hearts and I would never disrespect that position.

“I still have ambitions to get to a level. I don’t feel like I have got to that level where I am not good enough. It would be nice to kick on, see how far I can go in the game, try to play at a higher level than this.

“We will see what it brings, but I would never be disrespectful to what I have got at Hearts. The club have been great for me since I have gone there and have given me a real platform to perform at a high level with a top Scottish club.

Follow the latest from Hearts with the EEN’s free football emails

“I really enjoy it there. If I am there for the next season, then I am more than happy. But I am coming into a position now where I am going into the last season of my contract and conversations will need to be had at some point.”

Asked if his future could be in England or abroad again after previously moving to Belgium with Beerschot, Shankland added: “You want to push on. Can I get somewhere where I say, ‘Right, that wasn’t good enough?’.

“I don’t feel I have experienced that yet. You could finish your career and have regrets and say, ‘I wish I had tried that and seen if I could play there’. If you get the chance, you try to go and do it.

“There are loads of leagues all over Europe. I have been abroad before. I will see. I would go abroad again. The people at Hearts want me to progress in my career, as well, and do really well.

“The main thing is everybody is on the same page. We will see what the summer brings.”