Lawrence Shankland hopes to rediscover scoring touch at Hearts

Lawrence Shankland admitted he has found this season a struggle but the misfiring Hearts and Scotland striker is confident his overall game is now in good shape and that the goals will soon start to flow again.

The 29-year-old scored 59 times in his first two seasons at the club, becoming the first Jambos striker to break the 20-goal mark in a single campaign for more than 30 years.

However, Shankland has managed just one strike this term as his team have toiled towards the bottom end of the Scottish Premiership.

The Hearts skipper said: “It’s obviously been a difficult season in terms of as a collective. I think individually everybody’s just pointing towards goals, which is obviously normal coming off the back of two really successful seasons that I had and scored so many.

“I’m in competition with myself with the amount of goals I’m scoring, which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes not so good. I think you take a step back and look at the bigger picture in terms of my all-round game.

“I feel like it’s been improving and things have been starting to come together. I don’t really get judged on that, I understand that, but me personally, I know if I get my game to a level where I can feel that I’m playing well, the goals will eventually come again. It’s not something I’m getting too caught up in looking at numbers.

“I’ve been here before in my career, I’ve came through it and I’m sitting here today. I will survive it and going forward hopefully the goals will start flowing again.”

Shankland conceded his confidence in front of goal has taken a dent but was unable to pinpoint any particular reason for the loss of his scoring touch. The forward has incurred the wrath of some supporters amid his recent slump, although he was keen to remind his critics that his record prior to this season was exceptional.

“You need to take criticism, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend that Hearts had a 20-goal scorer every season for the last 10 years because it’s not true,” he said. “It was me, I changed that record. It’s my own pressure.

“It’s what I’ve brought myself. And I’m happy with that. It’s part of the game. Of course there’s going to be drop-offs in your career and right now I’m experiencing one, but as I’ve said, I’m at competition with myself now. If I can get the better of myself again, then I’ll be in a good place.”

Shankland’s deal expires at the end of this season and he currently has no plans to sign a new one. He dismissed any suggestion that he may have subconsciously “downed tools” after failing to get a move away in the summer.

“As a footballer in general, you’re always playing for that next contract,” said Shankland. “Whether that’s here or elsewhere for players, it doesn’t really matter.

“I don’t think any player in the past has got rewards for downing tools, as they call it, or chucking it. I don’t see the benefit for anybody in that situation, especially for myself in the last year of my contract.”