Steve Clarke names the Hearts demands that stars must meet as Shankland makes two key improvements

Scotland head coach Steve Clarke knows the Hearts shirt comes with two telling demands - and Lawrence Shankland is living up to the lofty expectations.

The striker is on 28 goals in all competitions for Steven Naismith’s side this season. He is bidding to be the nation’s starting striker for the Euro 2024 opener with Germany this summer, and the subsequent games that will follow in the major tournament.

With QPR’s Lyndon Dykes and Southampton’s Che Adams to contend with, there is debate about who Clarke will select as his Scotland talisman. He is no doubt, however, over the improvements in the Hearts star’s game as he lives up to the two needs for Tynecastle performances.

When asked if Shankland can play the way he wants his strikers to play, Clarke told This Sporting Life: “Lawrence can play. He’s a good player. I think he has improved his game as he has got older, more experienced.

Sign up for our free newsletters today

“It used to be that maybe he saved a little bit for himself and just played inside the box and scored goals. Now with Hearts, it’s a demanding crowd at Tynecastle, it’s a demanding crowd, the Hearts crowd, so when you play for Hearts you have to put yourself about.

“You have to show up in the games and Lawrence is doing that. His hold-up play has improved, his work-rate has improved, and he is still scoring goals. So yeah, he is doing alright.”

Clarke is also keen to stress that the work of Adams and Dykes should not go unnoticed. He added: “I think people are maybe a bit short-sighted to look too far beyond the work that Che Adams and Lydon Dykes. have done for us.

“Both of them over my time as head coach have been really good strikers for us team. Maybe not scoring goal after goal because they are not that type of striker. You have to understand what Lyndon and Che can bring to the group.”