The Tynecastle gaffer has revealed the club have officially started talks with the player and his representatives over a long-term deal.
Steven Naismith says star striker Lawrence Shankland must make his mind up on whether or not he wants to stay at Hearts.
The Tynecastle gaffer has revealed the club have officially started talks with the player and his representatives over a new, long-term deal. Shankland’s current contract expires at the end of next season and several clubs are monitoring his situation in January. The 28-year-old has been linked with Rangers and English Championship sides, having bagged 18 goals already this term. Naismith is desperate to keep him in Gorgie and says Shankland has the chance to become a Jambos legend. But if the Scotland front-man DOESN’T commit his future to Hearts, Naismith admits tough decisions will have to be made.
He said: “The club has started speaking to him at the moment and we’ll see where that goes. What he has done in the last two seasons has pushed him into legendary status, rather than simply being a really good signing. He’s got 18 months left on his contract and he’s at an age where the decisions he makes are really important. There is speculation all the time and he needs to deal with that.
“He needs to work out what he really wants and where it lies. But as long as Shanks is at the club, everyone should appreciate him and enjoy what he does for us.
“He loves it and you see he enjoys it. He’s a leader for us and he’s scoring goals. If that stops this month, this summer or next summer, it’s football.
“On the flip side, if he signs and stays for a long time – he becomes a real top-level club legend who hopefully breaks a lot of records which are within his grasp. Realistically, that’s where we sit with it all.
“There will be a discussion [on the contract] and eventually it will get to an end point where a deal will get done or it won’t. In the short-term, he needs to stay focused and do what he’s doing. The other stuff – you have a feeling inside of what is right and what to do, and you need to follow that feeling.”
Naismith is trying to build a squad capable of competing at the top end of the Premiership and in Europe regularly. He believes Shankland can spearhead that if he stays at Tynecastle.
The Jambos boss said: “The club values him as somebody who is really important. There are a few players in the squad who I can see being here for a long period of time, building for themselves personally and helping us progress as a club.
“Shanks is one of those people. He is probably playing the best football he’s ever played. He’s at his most prominent in terms of national team status with people pushing for him to be part of the Euros squad, so this is an important time in his career.”
Shankland scored 28 goals for Hearts last season and took over as skipper when Craig Gordon was injured. He hit Scotland’s equaliser against Georgia in November to earn a 2-2 draw and is tipped to be part of Steve Clarke’s squad for Euro 2024 next summer.
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