Lawrence Shankland has hailed his debut campaign at Hearts as 'really strong' as he opened up on being made captain.
The Jambos stand-in skipper had a stunning season in front of goal for his club side hitting 28 goals in all competitions. That included two strikes in the Europa Conference League group stage against RFS and one in Europa League qualifying versus FC Zurich.
Shankland's contribution on the goal front helped Steven Naismith's men finish fourth in the Scottish Premiership and secure another crack at Europe. They won't have the luxury of the guaranteed football on the big stage until Christmas as they look to navigate two rounds of qualifying this summer to reach the main competition once again in UEFA's third tier tournament.
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His form since now sacked boss Robbie Neilson signed him up last summer has been nothing short of stunning in a maroon shirt and that has earned him a spot in the latest Scotland squad as Steve Clarke's men face Norway and Georgia later this month. He was a late sub in the historic win over Spain and he will be looking to land more minutes this time around.
Speaking while away with the national team, he opened up on his first season at Tynecastle and standing in for veteran captain Craig Gordon - who is still recovering from a horror leg break suffered on Boxing Day.
He explained: "When you get to the end of a season you get the chance to look back and assess.
"For me it was really strong season. Performances throughout the season have been at a really high standard and I was really happy to be honest.
"The number of goals I chipped in with as well was great. It was obviously my first season at Hearts as well so it was good to get off to a good start.
"The captaincy was an opportunity that came about and I probably didn't expect it when I first went but when I heard the opportunity was there and it was offered to me I was keen to take it up and take on the role.
"I felt it was something that would improve my all-round game and myself as a person. I took it in my stride and handled it good. It was a huge learning opportunity and hopefully it stands me good stead for the future."
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